Indiana Traffic Safety Watch – Drunk Driving, Prom and Graduation

This might be the most memorable time of your teen’s life. We’re talking about prom and graduation season. While one of the best times, it can also be one of the most dangerous. That’s why officials with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) are here to help parents and guardians to address these risks with the young drivers in their family.Our Highland accident lawyers understand that reasonable judgment is one of the first things to go when we consume alcohol. If you’ve seen someone drink, then you’ve probably seen it firsthand. Our teens are on top of this list. They’re more likely to get into fights, they’re more likely to have unprotected sex and they’re more likely to drive drunk or to get into the car with a drunk driver.

According to USA TODAY, motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death among U.S. teens ages 16 to 19. They may not be old enough to drink legally, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t get their hands on it and it definitely doesn’t mean that they won’t drink. Make sure they know the dangers associated with alcohol before they’re put into that position.

To help to get this conversation started, use PowerTalk 21 day. That’s a day, April 21st, that was dedicated as the national day for parents to talk to teens about alcohol. It was created by officials with MADD to jump start the conversation. It all goes along with Alcohol Awareness Month, which takes place throughout the entire month of April.

It’s a pretty serious situation. As a matter of fact teenagers are more likely to drink in excess than any other age group. They’re more likely to have both blackouts and brownouts. A blackout is when your brain completely stops recording new memories, so forget about prom night. A brownout is when you have lapses in your memory.

When you pair these memory loses with alcohol’s influence on bad decisions, you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

To help your teen, make sure you talk with them about the risks associated with drinking and driving. This scenario kills more than 10,000 people annually. And these are accidents that can be prevented — completely. Make sure you’re talking with your teen about the different choices they have as a responsible adult. Talk with the about scenarios that they might be presented with and practice with them the safe and responsible ways to deal with those situations.

Make sure your teen feels comfortable calling you if they need a ride home. There may come the time in their life when their peers are drinking and driving, and you want them to feel comfortable enough to call you for help. You want to offer a helping hand, not scold them for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It’s also a good idea for you to talk to parents of kids with whom your teen spends time. Make sure everyone in the circle is one the same page.

Indiana Family Law Attorney Burton A. Padove handles personal injury and wrongful death matters throughout Northern Indiana, including Gary, Hammond and Calumet City.

More Blog Entries:

Indiana DUI Crashes Increase Following Super Bowl Festivities, Indiana Injury and Family Lawyer Blog, February 3, 2013

Report: Indiana Car Accident Prevention Requires Tougher Laws, Indiana Injury and Family Lawyer Blog, January 28, 2013