Parents can receive no worse news than to be told that a son or daughter has been killed in a car crash , but that is often a reality , as driving fatalities are the leading cause of death for 16- to 20-year-olds . In Connecticut in 2006 , 14 teens died . Fifteen teens died in 2007 , and 17 younglives have been lost already in 2008 .

Gov . M . Jodi Rell and the state legislature have taken action that they hope will reverse this trend . Last November , Rell formed the Governor’s Task Force on Teen Safe Driving . The Task Force made recommendations adopted by the legislature . New , tougher teen driving laws will take affect Aug . 1 , imposing tighter restrictions and tougher penalties on youngdrivers .

EASTCONN , with a host of like-minded local sponsors , held a forum at the Capitol Theater in Willimantic on June 18 to raise public awareness about teen driving and the new laws . Wayne Norman of WILI moderated the lively discussion about the changes that affect both teens and their parents .

The panelists included DMV Commissioner Robert Ward , who was up front about the new law : “ This law is inconvenient for parents , we recognize that , ” he said . “ We need to change the mindset of what the beginning of driving is about . ”

James MacPherson , of the American Automobile Association , stressed that it takes five yearsto develop the skills of a good driver . “ Passing the test is only a beginning point . There is a misconception that youare now certified good to go anywhere , ” he said .

Brendan Campbell , director of pediatric trauma at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center , told the audience that the state’s new laws “ allow teens to gain experience under circumstances of minimal risk . ” The new laws limit who can be in a car with a new driver , impose a curfew from 11 p . m . to 5 a . m ., and prohibit any cell phone use , including hands-free devices .

Clinical psychologist Jack Thaw cited experiments that show that “ using a hands-free device is equivalent to having three [ alcoholic ] drinks . They are not risk-free , ” he said . Thaw also described what he called the “ Iceberg Effect . ” This is when teens have “ near misses” in their cars . “ This translates into a sense of empowerment , where teens believe that they are immune from accidents . ”

Panelist Taylor Jennett , a sophomore at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury , concurred . “ Before I lost one of my friends , I never really paid attention to accidents , ” she said . She now speaks at public forums about her experiences . “ It hits audiences more [ strongly ] when there’s been a death in the community . ”

Ward agreed that connecting to an emotion has a greater impact in reaching an audience . He believes the new laws can save lives but that “ getting voluntary compliance is key . ”

Campbell , a member of the Governor’s Task Force , said the biggest challenge the task force faced was how to legislate parental responsibility . Parents of new drivers will now have to take two hours of driver’s education . With the number of practice hours required for new drivers increasing from 20 to 40 , it was stressed that parents should use those hours to expose their teen to a wide range of driving experiences and conditions , such as night driving and driving under adverse conditions .

Sherry Chapman , whose son Ryan was killed as a passenger in a teen accident , told parents to be aware of the risks . “ Take the new laws seriously , and enforce them , because they do save lives , ” Chapman said .

She also advised parents to have a safe driving talk with their children and develop a contract between teen and parent . Thaw added , “ You need to have emotionally safe conversations with yourteens where it’s not about winning or losing , but about safety and caring . ”

Campbell recommended using such conversations to help a child develop emotional competencies . “ Emotionally safe conversations can prepare them to resist dangerous circumstances in the future and to react appropriately , ” Campbell said .

State Police Captain Frank Griffin warned that the majority of accidents are speed- and alcohol-related . “ These new laws will usually only come into play after an accident or moving violation . We can’t stop somebody just because they look young, ” he said . He said that with the new laws , penalties will increase . “ But the worst part of my job is telling a parent that their son or daughter will not be coming home , ” he said .

“ Losing a child is a life-altering experience , ” Chapman told those in attendance . “ The grief doesn’t go away . ”