Tis The Season For Safe Teen Driving

TIS THE SEASON FOR SAFE TEEN DRIVING

Holiday Driving Tips for Parents and Teens

Wendy Tepfer

Director, Community Parent Center

516-771-9346

cpc1260@hotmail.com

The holiday season is here. Teens and young adults will come home from college, and families will travel to celebrate the upcoming holidays. These events and celebrations can be exciting times for family and friends to get together. But, get-togethers can turn into tragedies when people are killed or injured in traffic crashes.

With the holiday season upon us, the Community Parent Center believes it is important for parents to be extra careful when handing over the car keys to their teen drivers. The times between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day are the busiest for travel, and newly licensed teens do not have enough of the experience they need to navigate through the heavy traffic and winter weather conditions. Drivers, both new and experienced, need to be mindful of actions that will make their holiday travel safer. They can protect themselves and their passengers by following these travel rules:

• No Alcohol or Other Drug Use

• Always Buckle Up. Every Person, Every Seat, Every Time
• Prohibit use of Cell Phones/Texting
• Avoid all other Distractions – Eating, iPods, CDs
• Limit the Number of Passengers
• Restrict Night Driving
• Obey Speed Limit and all traffic signs, signals and laws

A car crash could ruin the holidays for you and your family forever. The most important gift that parents and teens can share this holiday season is to make sure that they drive safely and responsibly. Remember: Driving is a privilege, not a right. When teens are handed the keys to a car, they are being given the responsibility for their safety, the safety of those who ride with them and those who share the road with them.

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Established in 1988, the Community Parent Center is Bellmore-Merrick’s resource center for quality parent and community education programs addressing safe teen driving, substance and alcohol abuse prevention, bullying/ harassment and youth violence prevention. The mission of the Parent Center is to provide parents and families with education, resource information and the support they need to raise resilient children who are safe, confident, non-violent and drug-free. The Parent Center is a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization, underwritten by private donations, grants and legislative appropriations. Information about programs and educational materials can be obtained by visiting the Community Parent Center Website at www.communityparentcenter.org, or by calling (516) 771-9346.