As the school year comes to a close, state troopers will be conducting Operation Drive to Live 2010 to remind teenage drivers about safe driving.

The operation will be conducted from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day of this week, Monday through Friday. Sgt. Scott Smith with Surry County Highway Patrol said, “We’re going to try to target around the schools and patrol the area.”

Smith said troopers will drop by the county high schools this week as a reminder for students about safe driving and to provide some tips. He said some troopers are scheduled to speak at school assemblies.

Troopers will be on the watch for driving violations near the high schools especially this week. While troopers will target traditional problems such as speeding during the operation, Smith said there is a new problem that they will be watching out for.

“Texting while driving — it’s a big problem,” Smith said.

If a teenager makes a clear-cut driving violation this week which is witnessed by a trooper, Smith said he or she should be prepared to receive a citation. Most teenagers who receive a driving ticket are given the option to take a four-hour driving safety class to prevent insurance rates from rising, but the drivers still have to pay court costs.

Operation Drive to Live 2010 is an effort by North Carolina Highway Patrol to “reduce the number of teenage related traffic collisions and deaths.”

The operation also took place last year. Smith said, “It was a success.”

According to the state highway patrol office, traffic collisions are the leading cause of teenage deaths in the state and nation. Over the past four years, 682 teenagers have been killed in crashes in North Carolina that the highway patrol has investigated.

Smith pointed out that many collisions occur when teenage drivers leave for school in the morning or when they drive back home in the afternoon. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reports that 56 percent of fatal crashes occur on rural roads, with speed remaining the leading cause of those deaths.

The state highway patrol Web site, which is linked to www.nccrimecontrol.org, offers tips for teenage drivers. The tips are to insist on seat belt use, don’t drink and drive, slow down, avoid distractions, limit passengers while learning, use caution in intersections, watch out for deer and other animals, don’t drive when sleepy, look over your shoulder before changing lanes, use turn signals, don’t tailgate, and be courteous.

Contact Meghann Evans at mevans@mtairynews.com or 719-1952.