Teens want to roam free most of the time, and they may think they can get away with just a little more on Halloween when they’re kind of “expected” to be tricksters. The rules shouldn’t be lax just because it’s October 31. In fact, this is a night when you want to put more rules into place, especially for teen drivers.
Protect Teens from Car Accidents on Halloween
Don’t be afraid to set boundaries for your teen driver. Reinforcing what’s right and warning them of what is unsafe can help them in the moment before they make a bad decision. National Teen Driver Safety Week is designed to do just that – raise awareness that car crashes are the number one cause of teen deaths, and find solutions to prevent injury and death.
No alcohol. Halloween is a night when many teens get into mischief, even seek it out. Alcohol in any form on any day or night, however, can quickly turn into a fatal accident should an intoxicated teen choose to drive after drinking.
You are naïve if you think your teen won’t be tempted by alcohol or find themselves at a party or place where alcohol is available. Give them the option to call you for a ride if they do drink, and warn them to never rely on a friend to drive if the friend has been drinking. No one should ever get behind the wheel after drinking, whatever age they are. You can yell at them later for drinking underage or going where they were forbidden to go – just get your teen driver home safely first.
No phones. Your teen drivers can take as many photos as they want from the porch, the sidewalk, or their destination. But there should be a zero-tolerance policy for smartphones in the vehicle when they’re driving. It is not possible to multi-task, and teens do it worse than anyone. A teen driver’s ability to drive defensively is already compromised because of their inexperience. All the distraction of text messages, social media, selfies, and videos and this is a sure route to tragedy.
No ridiculous costumes. If you think your teen is unsafe walking around in their capes, tails, and vision-impairing masks, the same factors can be a serious problem when they’re behind the wheel. A foot or train could get caught on a pedal. Leaving a mask on when driving will considerably impact what the driver can see, especially in the dark. Any accessories that are beyond the norm can be a hazard for driving, especially for a teen driver.
No distractions. Friends in the car. Smartphones. Eating in the car. Digging for candy. Even if your teen driver isn’t the one who is using his or her phone or disobeying the rules of driving, loud, intoxicated, or distracting friends can be the road to disaster.
Your teen driver will make mistakes, stupid mistakes. You just don’t want that mistake to be a fatal one, for them or any other motorist who shares the road with them. If you have suffered a personal injury or been involved in a Michigan car accident because of a teen driver, contact Michigan personal injury attorney David C. Femminineo in Macomb County. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
