At high schools across Connecticut, it is not uncommon to see groups of students pile into the same car for their ride home from school. However, that is against the law. Now, safety advocates are encouraging school administrators to do more to keep students safe by implementing new student parking agreements that enforce the state’s graduated driver licensing law (GDL).

A 2014 statewide study, led by researchers at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, found that most public high schools in Connecticut were using parking agreements that failed to reference the need for students to follow the GDL law. As a result of the study, a model parking pass application was drafted and has been distributed to school and district leaders across the state. The model specifically states that any students who fail to comply with the graduated driver licensing law, or a number of other issues, will lose their parking privileges.

“This new proposed parking agreement serves as an important tool to help keep teenagers safe and crash free,” said Garry Lapidus, PA-C, MPH, the director of the Connecticut Children’s Injury Prevention Center. “We hope school districts across the state will implement this suggested parking agreement in support of our goal to educate teens about driving safety and to make sure everything possible is done to keep them out of harm’s way.”

“AAA applauds this innovative and potentially life-saving initiative,” said Amy Parmenter, a spokesperson for AAA Allied Group. “It is our hope that the model parking pass application will be widely adopted, and enforced, by all high schools across Connecticut.”

Any questions or comments can be directed to Garry Lapidus, Director of the Injury Prevention Center at CT Children’s Medical Center, GLapiduconnecticutchildrensorg.