BUFORD — Through stories of personal tragedy and concerns about their generation, a group of teens from around Georgia presented recommendations Monday on improving driving habits among their peers.

Among the Governor’s Commission on Teen Driving’s suggestions was a call to reform the state’s Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program in high schools, starting with changing its name to the Impaired Driving Awareness Program.

“This alteration of program name reflects our sentiment that drunk driving is no longer the only problem on our roadways in the state of Georgia,” states a seven-page report issued by the 22-member panel.

“ADAP seeks to educate kids about alcohol and drugs and driving,” said Eric Beeler, the commission’s chairman and a Johns Creek resident.

“We believe it should focus more on distracted drivers with nighttime restrictions and passenger laws, so that kids are more aware of those laws.”

The commission presented its recommendations during a two-hour session at Lake Lanier Islands’ Legacy Lodge Conference Center.

Announced by Gov. Nathan Deal in September 2012, the group is charged with “identifying strategies” in areas of driving concern.

The commission, overseen by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, divided into subcommittees to address distracted driving, texting while driving and impaired driving.

Recommendations included marking teen driving restrictions on licenses, imposing community service punishments to replace fines and strengthening texting penalties.

One of the group’s members, Susannah Hooks of Swainsboro, said of the commission’s efforts, “We’ve all been affected by somebody in our community or somebody close to home, and we want to make the crashes come to zero. We don’t want any more.”

The session featured emotional testimony from a couple of the students, including Griffin Sorohan, whose brother is the namesake for Georgia’s “Caleb’s Law.” Caleb died texting while driving in 2009 when he was a freshman at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega.

“With a larger fine and more points on the license, that could stop people (from texting while driving),” said Sorohan, who lives in Madison. “It didn’t only take his life — it took a part of ours.”

Nathan Sidey of Dillard talked about his motivation for applying to serve on the commission.

His father, a computer analyst, was killed by a drunken teenage driver in Florida when Sidey was a small child. Sidey showed pictures of the wrecked cars, as well as family pictures, including one of his father holding him as a 21-month-old.

“I don’t want someone else’s life to change like mine did,” Sidey said.

“As a 17-year-old boy, I don’t want to do what (the Florida teen) did to my family. Instead, I want to change ... people’s lives in the opposite way, by preventing this from happening ever again.”

AmberNechole Hart of Columbus said many teens believe nothing can hurt them.

“I think that’s a major thing that needs to get out there with education, whether it’s (concerning) alcohol, drugs or texting while driving, is that we’re not invincible, and that something that happens in just one second can affect us for the rest of our lives,” she said.

Harris Blackwood, Governor’s Office of Highway Safety director, said his office plans to spend time sorting through the recommendations.

“Some of the things can be done administratively,” he said after the session. “Some would require a change in the law.”

He added: “We may bring some of (the students) back to testify before some of the (legislative) committees during the off-season and come back next year with recommendations (in areas) where legislative things ... can be done.”

Meanwhile, the teen commission will continue. Five of the 22 members will graduate, “so we’ll replace them,” Blackwood said.

“We’re going to continue to reach out to try to make sure we cover the whole state,” he said