For Hopewell Valley teens, prom and graduation season is here. Although we do not want to take away from the joy of these events this time of year, it is important that parents are aware of, and prepare their child for, the risks that are inherently involved with the celebrations.
In the glow of prom or graduation, even the most sensible kids take risks. Some of the risks teens can face on prom or graduation night are: binge drinking, drunk driving, drug use, rape, drowsy driving as they stay out so late, and unprotected sex. Adolescents are already prone to poor decision making, and they seem especially susceptible at prom or graduation. The best thing you can do as a parent is to prepare your teen for a safe prom and graduation celebration.
We already know that hundreds of thousands of teens are involved in car crashes each year. With so much happening on prom night it can be easy for them to get distracted. Take some time before the prom to talk to your teen about being safe.
Here are five prom-season behind-the-wheel pitfalls, and an action plan to avoid them:
Alcohol. Cars and alcohol are a deadly combination. One problem is that many teens view drinking as a normal part of the prom and graduation celebration.
A study of 12,000 students by the Statistic Brain Institute, found that 53 percent of promgoers admitted to having more than four drinks on prom night. That means more than half were legally drunk (or worse).
As parents, we cannot condone this behavior and it’s imperative that we do not facilitate underage drinking. On the other hand, if we deny that underage drinking happens, the results can be catastrophic.
Seat belts. According to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, more than half of 16-to-20-year-olds killed in car crashes were not wearing seat belts.
Distractions. For many students, prom night is the highlight of the year. This youthful exuberance amounts to emotional driving. Text messages, Snapchat, loud music and a stunning companion all contribute to the chaos, and combine to take the young driver’s mind off what they are doing.
Drowsiness. After-parties + prom weekend trips = little or no sleep. Did you know? Drowsy driving is one of the top causes of distracted driving crashes, according to the National Safety Council. A five-year study by NHTSA shows that drowsy driving accounts for an average of 2.5 percent of the fatalities on our roadways each year. (Between 832 and 1194 deaths annually, over the five-year period.)
Bad Driving. Let’s face it, most of these kids have been driving less than two years, and the majority of them haven’t learned to drive properly anyway, so they are still learning on the job. Add to that a car full of kids (if they’re 18, they are no longer probationary drivers) and it adds up to trouble.
Always make an ironclad agreement with your teenager that they are never to get behind the wheel, or get into a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking (one is too many), using drugs or tired (minimum of 6 hours of sleep before driving).
Your child needs to know that they can call you at any time — day or night — and get picked up, if they, or their designated driver, have become impaired.
Listen carefully to their plans, especially their travel plans. Are they allowing enough time for everyone to recover from the prom night festivities? Alcohol-free prom nights have been a huge help in reducing drunk driving tragedies and we are lucky our local high school PTO provides a wonderful and safe Post Prom event every year.
One concern is that the kids stay awake all night and, in many cases, are allowed to drive home drowsy the next morning! As a parent, please consider having the kids picked up and driven home by a well-rested adult. (They can retrieve their cars later, after they have had an absolute minimum six hours of sleep.)
Involve yourself in their prom planning — they may object, but someone has to be the adult.
Who will they be with? Do you know the other kids and their families?
Who is driving? Are they still a probationary driver? (Only one passenger allowed). Have they had at least six hours of sleep? Insist that there must be one alternate (well-rested) driver included.
Where will they be staying? How many kids to a room?
Consider volunteering to be their chauffeur for prom weekend. They’ll probably refuse, but it’s worth a try. (Just be sure that YOU are well-rested, too!)
Are you hosting a party? An adult should be present at home throughout the party.
When possible, do not have the party in a separate part of the house. Parents need to stay visible during the party. Bring in snacks or nonalcoholic beverages, wander through to say hello. It is against the law to provide minors with alcohol. Anyone who leaves the party will not be allowed to return.
Is your teen attending a party? Contact the adults to verify the occasion and the time of the party. Make sure that an adult will be home and that there will be no alcohol or other drugs permitted. Have the address and phone number of the party. Arrange transportation beforehand. Assure your teen that you or a specified neighbor or friend can be called if a ride home is needed. Agree on times before the party starts.
Be awake when your teen gets home. It is not only a sure way of checking the time, it also gives your teen a chance to talk about the party.
Expect them to follow rules you set. This goes for prom, graduation and summertime. These are great times in our kids’ lives, but don’t allow your young student to take a “mental vacation” from their safe driving or social habits.
