Let's end the insanity
Parents, this message is for you.
You hold the keys to your child's safety behind the wheel...literally. I trust I am not the first to tell you that.
But recent high profile fatal crashes involving teen drivers who were text messaging should not have happened. And as a parent, you can help prevent future fatal crashes. I have a few good ideas that should help. And Dick Hughes. editor, Statesman Journal in Oregon has a few good ones too.
Now some, mainly those in the wireless industry would have you believe that the studies aren't there to support a nationwide ban on handheld devices for teens in motor vehicles. Actually teens admit to this behavior. In a recent AAA/Seventeen Magazine study, 46 % of teens admitted texting while driving. I rest my case.
But parents you don't need a nationwide ban to get the text messaging devices out of the hands of your teens. You simply say, "hand over that text messaging device, or hand over the keys." I'll bet they hand over the texting device every single time.
Now, will this eliminate all fatal teen crashes? No. Of course conversation among teens in a car is also a distraction. And removing conversation from inside the car is going to be nearly impossible. But that is no excuse not to remove all the other distracting factors that can impact your child's behavior behind the wheel. The fewer distracting factors, the better, right? Heck, remove the radio if you need to.
Again, a nationwide ban may not be necessary if parents take action. In the meantime some other folks are creating some innovative programs to help in this area. One such example is the STOPPED program in West Virginia. STOPPED, stands for "Sheriff's Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers."
With STOPPED, parents register their child's vehicle with the local sheriff's office and are given a special decal to place on the vehicle's windshield. So, then, if the driver is "stopped," his or her parents will be notified--even if a citation is not issued.
Until next time, stay safe behind the wheel.
Jason D. King, ABC
VP, Public Relations & Info. Serv.
AAMVA
jking@aamva.org
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/%22Teen+drivers%22" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=%22Teen+drivers%22" alt=" " />"Teen drivers"</a>
You hold the keys to your child's safety behind the wheel...literally. I trust I am not the first to tell you that.
But recent high profile fatal crashes involving teen drivers who were text messaging should not have happened. And as a parent, you can help prevent future fatal crashes. I have a few good ideas that should help. And Dick Hughes. editor, Statesman Journal in Oregon has a few good ones too.
Now some, mainly those in the wireless industry would have you believe that the studies aren't there to support a nationwide ban on handheld devices for teens in motor vehicles. Actually teens admit to this behavior. In a recent AAA/Seventeen Magazine study, 46 % of teens admitted texting while driving. I rest my case.
But parents you don't need a nationwide ban to get the text messaging devices out of the hands of your teens. You simply say, "hand over that text messaging device, or hand over the keys." I'll bet they hand over the texting device every single time.
Now, will this eliminate all fatal teen crashes? No. Of course conversation among teens in a car is also a distraction. And removing conversation from inside the car is going to be nearly impossible. But that is no excuse not to remove all the other distracting factors that can impact your child's behavior behind the wheel. The fewer distracting factors, the better, right? Heck, remove the radio if you need to.
Again, a nationwide ban may not be necessary if parents take action. In the meantime some other folks are creating some innovative programs to help in this area. One such example is the STOPPED program in West Virginia. STOPPED, stands for "Sheriff's Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers."
With STOPPED, parents register their child's vehicle with the local sheriff's office and are given a special decal to place on the vehicle's windshield. So, then, if the driver is "stopped," his or her parents will be notified--even if a citation is not issued.
Until next time, stay safe behind the wheel.
Jason D. King, ABC
VP, Public Relations & Info. Serv.
AAMVA
jking@aamva.org
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/%22Teen+drivers%22" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=%22Teen+drivers%22" alt=" " />"Teen drivers"</a>
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