DEARBORN — The Dearborn Police Department announced the launch of a series of free and intensive traffic safety training courses for youth during the upcoming summer season, in a move aimed at equipping teenagers and new drivers with essential skills to promote public safety.

The initiative comes as part of the department’s ongoing efforts to reduce traffic accidents and strengthen road safety awareness among younger age groups. The interactive sessions will be led by experienced Dearborn police officers through three-hour training classes that combine both theoretical and practical instruction to ensure safety messages are delivered effectively and directly to participants.

The training program will focus on several critical issues, including safe driving practices and the dangers of distracted and reckless driving, which remain among the leading causes of accidents involving young drivers.

Participants will also have the opportunity to review and discuss real-life scenarios with officers in order to develop skills for handling dangerous situations. In addition, time will be allocated for question-and-answer sessions allowing students to receive direct guidance from experienced law enforcement personnel.

Data from the Dearborn Police Department Transparency Dashboard shows that young drivers account for the highest number of traffic violations in the city. The figures begin rising sharply at age 16 and peak among drivers between the ages of 18 and 21, with violations in that age group exceeding 1,000 citations annually.

According to official data, the numbers begin to decline steadily after age 22, reflecting a direct relationship between driving experience — or behavioral maturity — and lower rates of traffic violations.

Among the most common traffic violations in Dearborn, speeding ranked by far as the most frequent offense, followed by failure to obey traffic signals, disregarding stop signs, obstructing traffic and using mobile devices while driving.

This concentration of violations among teenagers and young adults explains the Police Department’s focus on launching awareness programs and intensive training courses specifically targeting this age group in an effort to instill safe driving habits and reduce the high rate of violations to improve community safety.

In this context, Police Chief Issa Shahin said such programs play a major role in helping young drivers understand the responsibilities associated with driving.

Shahin explained that providing new drivers with proper knowledge at an early stage can have a positive and lasting impact that enhances overall public safety throughout the community.

The training sessions will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dearborn Police Department Training Room, located at 16099 Michigan Avenue, on June 24 and July 8 and 15.

Due to limited seating availability, the department encourages those interested in joining the program to register in advance online through the following link: tinyurl.com/mshnex32

For more information, residents may contact the Dearborn Police Department via email at: JMiccalef@Dearborn.gov or by phone at: 313-943-2181.