Reinforcing Safety During Prom Season

Sometime in the next two months your high school student will be on their way to prom. That being said, it may be a good time to revisit a few easy-to-follow tips to make sure your child, and their friends, stay safe. Below are some topics to discuss:

1. Drinking and Driving
Underage drinking is a crime. The same goes for anyone who supplies alcohol to a minor. The easiest way to prevent from being arrested, or from being involved in an accident, is to not drink. Although alcohol-related accidents among teens has dropped, vehicle crashes are still one of the leading causes of death or injury in teenagers nationwide. This one simple step is a great way to prevent it from happening. 

2. Texting and Driving
A few years ago this wouldn't have been an issue but nowadays, everyone is doing texting.  And, unfortunately, many people are doing it while driving, which is no better than being intoxicated at the wheel. Stress to your child the importance of keeping an eye on the road and not on the phone. It only takes a second for something to go wrong.

3. Other Distractions
Too many passengers, loud music or driving above the speed limit is not the best way to show off. Distracted driving has eclipsed drunk driving as the number one safety concern of the driving public and is the number one killer of American teens. Keep your eyes on the road and your mind focused on driving.  Distracted driving is the number one killer of American teens.

4. Seatbelt Safety
Should your teen be in a car accident, whether they are driving or not, a seatbelt could increase their chance of surviving a crash. It takes less than ten seconds to put one on.

Automobile crashes remain the number one killer of teens caused by driver error, speeding and distractions. Reinforcing the importance of safe driving with your child is an easy way to save their life. It should never be an inconveniance to make sure that your teen knows what to do, or not do, when going out with their friends.

Always know who they will be with and where they are going, including which route they plan on taking. If you're worried about whose driving, rent a limo instead. Keep a list of phone numbers for places they'll be and insist that no changes be made without consulting with you first.