There are many dangers associated with underage drinking. One of those is undoubtedly drinking and driving. When your teenager starts driving regularly, it is important to make sure you communicate openly with him or her about the responsibilities of being a driver. It’s essential to bring up the topic of drinking and driving and how dangerous it can be, not only for the driver, but for everyone else on the road. How should you approach having this talk?
Keep Communication Open
The best way to talk to your teenager about the dangers of drinking and driving is to begin an open dialogue. Talk to your teenager well before he or she starts driving and make sure he or she understands the dangers. Give your teenager a chance to speak and express opinions. Make it more of a discussion as opposed to a lecture. After all, it’s important not to make them feel as if they are being reproved, lectured, or instructed. Rather, turn it into a casual chat and give your teen a voice. Allow him or her to express their thoughts and feelings about the issue.
Present the Information Objectively
Present some of the statistics to your teenager in an objective manner. The statistics speak for themselves. For example, every day in the United States, 28 people die from drunk driving related incidents (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2013). Also, almost every 90 seconds, someone is injured in a drunk driving case (Blincoe, Lawrence, et al. “The Economic Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes 2000.” Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2002. NHTSA FARS data, 2011).
It may also be effective to share some stories of people who were majorly affected or even killed as a result of drunk driving. There are a lot of resources out there for this purpose. For example, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) has a lot of great information on their website. If your teen understands the implications of drunk driving and how it may lead to injury, death, or the death of someone else, they will be less likely to participate in drunk driving.
Discuss the Legal Implications
If the threat of death doesn’t sink in, many teens will be deterred from drinking and driving when they understand how a DUI may impact their future. If your teen has big college or career aspirations, explain to them in the event they were to get a DUI, there would be many obstacles they would have to overcome in the future.
A college review board will look down on DUIs and it may prevent them from getting into college. Also, many companies do not want to hire individuals with a DUI on their record. It’s also important to point out getting a DUI is very expensive, and DUI offenders often have to serve a little bit of jail time, perform community service, take defensive driving courses, etc.
The important thing about talking to your teenager about anything is you want to keep the communication open. Good communication is essential in any parent-teen relationship, but even more so for step-parents. Make sure your teen understands that he or she has a voice and the main reason you are speaking about this issue is because as his or her parent or step-parent, you do not want anything bad to happen to him or her. It is always best if you make sure they understand that you are speaking to them out of love and concern.
Sara Crawford is a freelance writer from Atlanta, Georgia, who often blogs for Hait, Eichelzer & Kuhn —personal injury attorneys who understand all too well the severe effects of drinking and driving.
