Troop 7 officer speaks about safety to Cape driver’s ed students

Cape Henlopen High School driver’s education teachers and students recently welcomed Delaware State Police Troop 7 Lt. Nick DeMalto for a thought-provoking presentation. He highlighted the importance of students making safe driving choices when operating a vehicle, and how the choices they make can affect themselves and others.

Driver’s education classes consist of 10th-graders who will soon be of age to obtain their driver’s licenses and hit the road for the first time. While the driver’s education instructors cover various driving-related material throughout the marking period, DeMalto’s presentation focuses on the importance of choices made before and after getting behind the wheel.

“The purpose of the presentation is to stress the four factors that help keep someone safe and alive while operating a vehicle. Those factors are following speed laws, minimizing distraction, not driving while impaired and wearing your seatbelt,” said DeMalto. “We have candid conversations about the physical effects your body is subjected to when drugs or alcohol are in the system, and then what that means from a driving-while-impaired perspective. We review Delaware’s laws on DUI and marijuana, discussed various distractions that may occur while driving, and touch on Delaware’s Good Samaritan law.”

While many of these topics are also covered in the driver’s education curriculum, driver’s education educator Corey Groll said sometimes the retention for young people is greater when they hear it directly from someone in law enforcement. “Our students see and hear from us every day,” Groll said. “I think the fact that we can partner with DSP each year, and that Lt. DeMalto can come into the room and have an honest and open conversation with our students about safety when driving, is significant and meaningful. Anything we can do to help reinforce these important topics, we’ll do!”

Cape Henlopen School District and Cape Henlopen High School team members are grateful for the time Delaware State Police officers give when it comes to educating students. Shared partnerships like this help create a safe and informed school community.