It’s hard to talk to teenagers about anything. You have to get them to unplug from whatever has their interest at the moment and then you’re fighting every minute to keep their attention.  That doesn’t mean we still don’t keep trying.  Even if it seems like they aren’t paying attention to a word you’re saying, keep drilling things into their heads. You’d be surprised what they actually retain! Teens admit in studies that, while they pretend to not listen to us, they do usually remember what we tell them. Now, what they do with that information is a different story. But we can only control so much once they get to a certain age and start driving, so let’s focus on what we can influence. We can give them truthful information about Distracted Driving and the harm it can cause to them and to others.

The most proactive thing you can do is talk to them when they are younger (preferably before puberty when half their brain shuts down for a few years) about safe driving habits. And that means you, too! If you’re preaching to them about driving the speed limit or not texting while driving – how seriously are they going to take you if you’re going 20mph too fast or reading a text while you’re driving?

After establishing that you practice what you preach, here is a good exercise for you and your child to do in the car. It’s called “Yes I CAN” and it tells kids what they CAN do, not what they can’t do (from the End Distracted Driving National Campaign).

  1. Yes, I CAN drive without sending or receiving a text, especially since texting and driving is illegal in Tennessee;
  2. Yes, I CAN call or text my parents or friends before I leave to tell them when I will arrive;
  3. Yes, I CAN pull over to listen to a phone message, make a phone call, or read or send text;
  4. Yes, I CAN stop texting or talking on the phone with a friend once I know they are driving – even if I am not;
  5. Yes, I CAN put on make-up, eat, look for something in my car before I leave or after I get where I’m going;
  6. Yes, I CAN pull over to a safe location to make adjustments in my car or electronic devices, look up something on the internet, or change CDs;
  7. Yes, I CAN help my friends and loved ones with the responsibilties of driving if I am a passenger including helping to look both ways at intersections or pulling out of parking lots or driveways and even discouraging them from talking on the phone if they are driving.

Whether you have an 8 year old or a 17 year old, it’s never too early or late to have the conversation that could save your child’s life or that of another.  Texting while driving is similar to having a .8 alcohol blood level and people who are drunk actually perform better in tests than people who are sober but are texting while driving. The dangers of driving under the influence has always been present for young people learning to drive, but with the advent of every type of personal electronics you can think of, from smart phones to Google Glasses, we have to make sure our kids know what new dangers are out there and how to avoid them.

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