LET’S HAVE THE SAFEST SUMMER EVER!

On Friday, April 15, during the State Conference, we will focus on a Teen Driving Summit called the Safest Summer Ever! Summer is the deadliest season for teens, with an average of 422 deaths per month, (compared to 363 traffic deaths per month during the rest of the year).

Limit the number of kids in the car, and make sure that you will be the only driver of your car.
Insist that everyone wears a seat belt even if it means a few clothing wrinkles.
Instill the importance of concentration behind the wheel. (Teenage passengers can be distracting and cause the driver to be careless. Also, they will see all of their friends when they get to Prom- No need to be texting or on the phone while driving!)
Make sure you know the importance of driving defensively on a night when the accident rate is high.
Plan ahead to know exactly where you are going, even if you have to scout the trip during daylight hours. (This includes any post prom party locations.)
Realize the dangers of drinking and driving. No matter how confident a teenager is about his or her abilities, there will be temptations on prom night. (Remind yourself of the number of people killed by drunk drivers!)
Make sure you have a charged cellphone to contact your parents if you need help.
If you are given an extended curfew, realize how fatigue can also cause accidents. Maybe your best choice is to stay at a friend’s house closer to where you prom is held.
Another possible choice to avoid some of these problems is to hire a driver for the night. This way you don’t have to worry about being too tired to drive, and you can carpool with your friends!

I hope you keep all of these tips in mind this prom season. Prom will be tons of fun, so just make sure you make it home to tell about it!

Written by Andrew Backman, State Officer