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How to talk to teens about distracted driving.
There are many parents out there that assume advice given to kids goes in one ear and out the other. Even if your teen is acting like he or she is not listening, chances are that they do hear you and that your words are sticking with them.
The more you talk to your kids about important subjects like distracted driving, the more likely they are to hear your voice in the back of their head when they are faced with the opportunity to make a bad decision.
Not sure how to broach the subject of distracted driving in a way that might resonate with them?
Try these approaches:
- Talk to your teen about studies like this one from Distraction.gov that show that distracted driving is just as dangerous as drinking and driving.
- Ask them what their definition of distracted driving is and see if they realize that it is not limited to cell phone use. Distractions can be caused by loud music, having too many people in the car, applying make-up while behind the wheel, or even by trying to eat a snack on the way to practice.
- Have them come up with driving expectations for themselves and together compare them to yours. You may be pleasantly surprised that they are similar.
- Hold your child to those expectations. If your son or daughter violates the no texting while driving expectation and the consequence is having driving or cell phone privileges revoked, make sure that happens.
- Have your kids read stories of or watch videos on families who have lost loved ones to distracted drivers, so that they can better comprehend the potentially fatal consequence of distracted driving.
Need help reaching out to your teen about the dangers of distracted driving? Reach out to us for help. Call Walker, Billingsley and Bair today at (641) 792-3595 and or have your teen take the Distracted Driving Pledge and join other teens who promise not to risk the lives of themselves and others.
