Make a PROMise to be safe

Prom season is here, and with high school graduations right around the corner, the Wyandot County Safe Communities Coalition reminds parents that it’s the ideal time to talk with teens about the dangers of reckless, drunk and distracted driving.

Did you know that one of the riskiest things parents permit their teens to do is drive a car? In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers.

Whether a teen was the driver or passenger in a crash, it rarely matters: a young life ended. No parent wants to get a phone call or a knock on the door telling them that their child has died in a crash. That’s why communicating with teens and setting ground rules, especially at this time of year, could make the difference between life and death.

To help your teen get home safe this prom season, PROMise to have a talk with them about the importance of driver and passenger safety, and how one mistake can affect someone’s life forever:

Here are some helpful tips to ensure a safe, worry-free evening.

— Encourage wearing a seatbelt; it’s the best accessory.

— Remind your teen that it is never OK to ride with an impaired driver.

— Respect the driver, by not distracting the driver.

— Know where your teen will be and stay up until they get home.

Help make this the best and safest prom season ever for your teen. Talk to them before the event and reassure them that you are always just a phone call away.

For more teen driver safety tips, visit www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov or follow the health department on Facebook.

By Jeffrey Ritchey RS
Wyandot County Public Health