Tragedy spurs mother to teach

An Altoona native whose 16-year-old daughter died in a one-vehicle crash six years ago has a message for teen drivers and their parents: Inexperience and distractions are leading causes of teen driving fatalities.

"As a society, we've decided to let 16-year-olds drive, but we need to do a better job of developing and preparing them for driving," said Robin Thompson of Fairfax, Va.

Thompson, a 1972 graduate of Bishop Guilfoyle High School, created a foundation in memory of her daughter, Ashley Renee, with an educational component called the Art of Driving. The primary mission, she said, is to educate the public about teen drivers and the dangers associated with teen driving.

"If it can happen to Ashley, it can happen to anyone," Thompson said.

Ashley, a sophomore at Lake Braddock High School in Fairfax, Va., was a good student and gymnast. Her mom describes her as one of "those great teenagers every parent is proud to claim and every teacher wants in class."

On the day of her death, Ashley rode to school with a friend and then borrowed the friend's car to drive home when she had a free period. Three blocks from home, Ashley lost control of the vehicle.

"The police said that because of the markings, they know she swerved and that put the car into a skid," Thompson said. The vehicle hit a tree so hard that Ashley died on impact.

"All was lost in a matter of minutes," the mother states in on a Web site describing the Ashley Renee Thompson Memorial Foundation.

After the crash, police tried to piece together what happened. Through phone records, it was determined Ashley was not on a cell phone. Speed and alcohol were ruled out. No one was in the car to distract her, and she was familiar with the road. Thompson concluded that her daughter, as a new driver, lacked the driving skills to regain control.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety identifies inexperience and immaturity as significant factors in high crash rates of young drivers. Using data collected by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the organization concludes that a teenage driver's lack of experience makes it difficult for them to recognize and respond to hazards.

Thompson tries to illustrate that by using an example involving a four-way intersection, where there is a parked vehicle, and a pedestrian and a teen approaching a green light. She said the research shows teens go through the green light with no hesitation, but a mature driver would ease off the gas because they recognize the potential hazard.

Those are the kind of messages Thompson's program tries to drive home with teenagers, parents and others. She urges parents not to get caught up with the convenience of having a new driver in the family.

"So many parents say thank goodness that their teenagers can now drive themselves to where they need to be ... but parents need to step back and see what the risks are ... and some of those 16-year-old drivers need more [practice] time behind the wheel."

Thompson, a school nurse, used weekends, time off and summers to travel throughout Virginia to deliver her message to students, counselors and others. She also appeared on NBC's "Today" show.

This year, the Virginia Department of Transportation recognized the program by presenting Thompson with the Governor's Youth Traffic Safety Award.

"The judges were just really impressed with her ability to take something negative and turn it into something so positive," department spokeswoman Melanie Stokes said. "Also, the fact that [the program] can be integrated into any setting ... and tailored for use in so many different school divisions."

Thompson said she was pleased to receive the honor.

"But there's so much more work to do," Thompson said. "Ashley had a wonderful gift of seeing the positive in everybody and every situation ... so one way I can honor is her is to see something positive come from her death."