The Dress, The Tux, The Date, The Hair, The Music and what to do after…all things that are on your teen’s mind before the infamous prom night.
Driving is usually not an important thought on your teen’s mind, but for you as their parent, it can be a huge worry. Many parents often overlook the need to have an honest discussion about safe driving and avoiding alcohol and drugs.
Statistics show that prom and graduation season, the months of April, May and June; are the most dangerous months for teens. One-third of alcohol-related traffic fatalities involve teens each year during these months.
We would like to share an honest and teen-friendly guide to share concerns with your teens for one of the most important nights of their adolescent career.
Have a good time:
Explain to your son or daughter that you want them to have fun and enjoy themselves. Just don’t drink. Years from now, they will laugh when they look back on their prom night, but only if they can remember the night.
Relate it to your prom:
Tell your teen what you did right or wrong and what the consequences were. Don’t be afraid to tell them the truth if you made bad judgment calls. This can help them feel that you are human and that you regret the decisions and don’t want them to make the same.
Remind them of their future:
High school may be the best time of their lives, but your teen has their entire life ahead of them. Don’t ruin that by drinking or doing drugs at Prom, Graduation or any night.
Immature v. Mature:
Your teen may think that drinking or doing drugs and driving is what the grown up thing is to do. Explain to them that it is the most immature and irresponsible decision they could make. Being mature is about making the right decision and keep your future in sight.
Drive Safe!
If your teen is driving, make sure they understand the responsibility of driving on Prom night, or any other night. You can share these six tips with your child:
- Wear your seatbelt.
- Don’t speed.
- Be a defensive driver, not everyone on the road is going to be as safe as you; watch out for other unsafe drivers.
- Don’t drink or do drugs. Doing either one of these impairs your judgement for driving and could potentially end in a fatality. If your teen makes a mistake or finds themselves in an uncomfortable situation, remind them they can call you with no questions asked. Your teen doing this shows that they were mature enough to see the danger and making the right call.
- Don’t ride with anyone who has been drinking or doing drugs. This takes your life out of your hands.
- Pay attention to the road while driving. Don’t get distracted with cell phones, radio or passengers. Driving is an important responsibility and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group and it is largely due to driver error. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’, one in four crash fatalities involve someone 16 to 24 years old, nearly twice as high as other age groups. Don’t let your teen by a statistic. Talk with them and communicate the importance of safe driving on Prom night and every other night.
Please be safe wherever you go on the road.