A course to educate parents on ways to keep their teens safe behind the wheel is being held Thursday night in St. Joseph.

The City of St. Joseph Health Department said “First Impact” is a traffic safety program to educate parents about Missouri’s Graduated Driver License law.  According to the department, the goal is to reduce the number of motor vehicle fatalities, injuries and  crashes among teen drivers by increase parental awareness and enforcement of the law.

Two First Impact sessions are being held in St. Joseph.  The first will take place Thursday, Feb. 23 at McCarthy Baptist Church at 6 p.m. Call (816) 271-4636 for more information.  A second class will be held Tuesday, Feb. 28 at St. Joseph Youth Alliance at 6 p.m. Call (816) 232-7400 for more information.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics motor vehicle crashes take the lives of those between the ages of 15 and 20 years old more than any other cause.

Each First Impact session is free and lasts about one and one half hours. Those in attendance receive a handbook with course information, a driving practice log, a safe driving guide, and other resources. The curriculum is designed to teach adults, but new teen drivers or those who are about to get their driving permit are welcome to attend with their parents. Find more information about the program at www.firstimpactmo.org.

Pre-registration is recommended by visiting the website www.firstimpactmo.org (Events tab).