There are several reasons that teens are considered a high-risk group when it comes to driving. First
and foremost, they are inexperienced, which means they may not have the knowledge and skills needed
to make appropriate and well-timed decisions on the road. Further, they often have a delusion of
invincibility that can lead them to act in ways that are far from safe or prudent. And finally, they are
generally susceptible to peer pressure to the point that they are willing to ignore their safety training and
make poor decisions while operating a vehicle in order to impress their friends. As if all of this wasn’t
frightening enough for parents, many teens also begin experimenting with alcohol during their adolescent
years. So it behooves you to educate your teen driver about the dangers of getting behind the wheel after
drinking if you want to do everything in your power to ensure his safety.
But where should you start? While you can certainly assault your teen with a slew of statistics about the
number of teens involved in accidents each year, how many of those are fatal, and how many cited the
involvement of alcohol (check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, website
for fact sheets), you might be better off taking a more personal approach rather than a clinical one. Sit
your teen down to discuss the possibility of drinking and driving and tell him why you don’t want him to.
If you’ve ever had a drinking and driving incident yourself, explain what led to your poor decision and
why you will never do [Read more…]