By Police Chief Scott Knight

From Monday, April 19 through Sunday, April 25, 11 people have been killed on Minnesota roadways.

The end of life, damage to families, and the damage to communities is beyond comprehension. We are steeped in sadness. One rollover accident – during a sunny afternoon – left three teenaged girls dead, and a fourth critically injured. The Minnesota State Patrol reports, “None of the girls was wearing a seatbelt … and all four were thrown from the vehicle.”

A “fiery head-on collision,” occurring at 2:40 a.m., left six people dead. According to investigators, one of the cars involved contained five young passengers who ranged in age from 15, 16, 17 and 21. The driver was 16, and had possessed a driver’s license for less than three weeks.

The State Patrol reports that this car “smelled of alcohol,” and officers note that the driver was in violation of two age-related driving restrictions. (The age-related restrictions apply to the time of the accident, and number of passengers younger than 20.)

Again we are told that the passengers did not use seatbelts.

Parents, family, neighbors, teachers, clergy, community members must never stop talking to our kids about safety, seatbelt use, and consequences.

Our kids must be asked: “Who is driving?”; “How many kids are going along?”; “Where are you going?” And, we need to be clear that we will confirm this information.

Not only do we need to talk – nonstop – with our kids about these things, but we need to talk with other parents, too. And, create “bailout” plans, or contracts that will help our kids get out of situations that they know are not right and are dangerous. Give them the “lifeline” of being able to ask you for help.

Be obnoxious about talking about these things, and have a curfew that not only complies with the law, but also takes into account the maturity and responsibility of your children.

We will be happy to arrange for a Chaska police officer to talk with you and your child, or group of parents and children about these critically important issues. If such an opportunity would be of value to you, simply call us at (952) 448-4200.

Scott Knight is chief of the Chaska Police Department.