Prom Night: 12 Safe Driving Tips For Teens & Parents
Prom is a special night for high school students to celebrate the end of the school year. Students all over the country spend hundreds of dollars — from corsages to tuxedos — to make the evening a special one.
Sadly, every year Americans hear reports of prom-goers getting into car accidents as a result of drinking and driving. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, with the help of Nationwide Auto Insurance, has worked passionately since 1980 to lower these statistics. According to reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration efforts have been successful: Drinking and driving among teens dropped 35 percent from 1990 to 2005,
In addition to drinking and driving, accidents can happen any time teen drivers are distracted, even for just a few seconds. In fact, prom night clothing (which often that constricts movement) can cause a distraction for teen drivers.
That's why prom season is an especially good time to revisit a these easy-to-follow, safe driving tips from Nationwide Auto Insurance that will help keep your special night safe.
Prom Night Safe Driving Tips For Teens
• Always wear your seatbelt and make sure everyone in the car does, too.
• Concentrate and drive defensively. There are likely to be a lot of impaired drivers on the road prom night.
• Have directions to the dance. Even better, drive by the location during daylight hours. If the prom is not held at your school, you will still know where you’re going.
• Understand that the average vehicle weighs 3,000 pounds. It may be easy to drive, but it’s still a heavy hunk of metal.
• Never allow someone who has been drinking to drive, no matter how confident the driver is about his abilities. It’s not worth the risk.
• Remember that tired drivers are dangerous, too. If you’re barely awake, you shouldn’t be behind the wheel.
• Call home to get a ride. No matter what time it is, parents would rather pick you up than have you drive in a dangerous situation.
• Take your cell phone to prom so you have one in case of emergency.
• Take a spare pair of comfortable shoes with you for driving so you don’t have to hit the brakes while wearing unfamiliar high heels or bulky dress shoes.
Prom Night Safe Driving Tips For Parents
• Make sure you know where your child is going to be during prom, as well as any after-prom parties.
• Don’t allow too many prom-goers into one vehicle. (More passengers means more distractions.) Make sure the driver has vehicle insurance and understands what to do in case of emergency.
• Consider a limo or an adult driver to chauffeur students. Choose someone with more nighttime driving experience and unlikely to be affected by a prom night adrenaline rush.
