Youth Programs and Services

Our children are our future. The California Highway Patrol is aware of how much role models play in a child's development, so we've developed several programs for kids of any age. Help us by alerting them to the dangers they face as they grow up - from dealing with alcohol and drugs, to street racing, to handling peer pressure. You can steer them in the right direction, and we can help. Check out the programs below, and let's work together to keep our kids safe.

Start Smart

Getting their driver's license opens a new world to young drivers. Suddenly, the possibility of new destinations and experiences with friends are within grasp. But a new driver lacks the experience that is sometimes needed on the road. Situations can appear in a second, sometimes too fast for a new driver to respond to. But, there are ways to avoid dangerous situations. There are ways to keep a new driver - and their passengers - safe on the road.

Start Smart

Impact Teen Drivers

Impact Teen Drivers (ITD) is a non-profit program focused on saving teen lives through education. The program is designed for attendance by teens with their parents. ITD provides education on the causes of collisions among teen drivers with a strong focus on distractions and risky driving behaviors behind the wheel as well as an explanation of the Graduated Driver License (GDL) requirements. Included in the presentation are affected family members who have lost a loved one in a teen involved collision. Their stories not only share a tragedy in a way that is emotionally impactful, they also bring home the message of how easy these tragedies are to avoid simply by removing distractions, driving responsibly, and following the GDL restrictions.

Impact Teen Drivers External link

Every 15 Minutes

The Every 15 Minutes program is a two-day program focusing on high school juniors and seniors, which challenges them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, and many others.

Every 15 Minutes

Meet Chipper

These printable images are from the CHP's coloring book for children, available in English(PDF) and Spanish (PDF).

Child Safety Seat Laws

Did you know that over 40% of car seats for children are used incorrectly, and that nearly 60% of adults are unaware of the laws governing the use of car seats for children? Find the laws behind the use of your children's seats here, and stop by a CHP office to let us show you how to properly buckle your kids (and their seat) in.

Child Safety Seat Laws

Right Turn

With the average age of first alcohol use in the U.S. now reported to be 12, it’s not too early to start talking to your young teen about making smart decisions when it comes to drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, and drinking and driving. Drinking and driving? But he’s only in eighth grade you say? But what is he going to do if his ride home from practice has been drinking?

Will he know how to handle the situation? What if her boyfriend has a driver’s license? What’s she going to do if he’s been drinking? These are real life scenarios that are worth discussing with your child. The California Highway Patrol’s RIGHT TURN Middle School Program has some tips for parents, including tips on alcohol prevention strategies, talking to your teen, and ways to help them say “no.”

Right Turn Program