RIBBONS SYMBOL OF CAUSE.

Byline: Holly Edwards Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - For the next two weeks, white ribbons are likely to appear all over the place - on trees, bushes, storefronts, mailboxes and lapels.

Businesses and public agencies throughout Santa Clarita have joined forces to launch White Ribbon Weeks from June 5 through 17 to remind everyone of the tragic consequences of unsafe driving.

The city lost four teens this year in car crashes, and nine teens were seriously injured in a March crash caused by a teen suspected of being under the influence of drugs.

``The bottom line is teen-agers think they're invincible, but car accidents can happen to anybody at any time,'' said Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Mark Slater of the Santa Clarita station. ``At some point, something's got to slap them in the head and tell them they can't keep driving too fast. I hope teens everywhere got at least part of a news brief about the four teen-agers that were killed here in February.''

White ribbons will be distributed throughout the city, and will also be given to all graduating seniors, along with a list of the 16 teens who have died in car crashes in the city since 1994.

Traffic crashes and collisions are the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 20, and have claimed the lives of 68,000 teens nationwide in the past decade, statistics show. Nearly one-third of these fatal crashes were caused by excessive speed.

As a trauma nurse at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, Vivian Rebel sees the consequences of reckless driving firsthand.

``Car crashes aren't accidents because they can all be avoided,'' she said. ``And the statistics about teen fatalities don't even address brain injuries and paralysis.''

Rebel was instrumental in developing Trauma Nurses Talk Tough, a program that brings nurses to local high schools for a 50-minute slide show that vividly depicts the effects of unsafe driving.

The hospital also joined other local agencies in sponsoring the Safe Teen Bumper Sticker Program. Teens are given bumper stickers with a phone number for other drivers to call should the teen behave recklessly behind the wheel.

``We're just trying to prevent any more senseless tragedies, and we hope teens take all of this to heart when they get behind the wheel,'' said Janice Newbold, a hospital spokeswoman.