Distracted, Drunk & Drugged Driving

What Is Distracted Driving?

Almost 6,000 people die each year due to distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves, states the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety,

Younger, inexperienced drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes. Their lack of driving experience can contribute to critical misjudgments if they become distracted. Not surprisingly, they text more than any other age group. 

Texting is the most alarming because it involves visual, manual, and cognitive distractions. A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study revealed that physically dialing a phone while driving increases the risk of a crash as much as six times, and texting is riskier still, increasing the collision risk by 23 times.

What Parents Can Do

  • Know and enforce the law.
    Virginia law prohibits drivers under age 18 from using a cell phone or any other wireless telecommunications device, regardless of whether such device is or is not hand-held. Teens under 18 may only use a cell phone or any other telecommunications device for a driver emergency or when the vehicle is lawfully parked or stopped.
  • Educate yourself and your teen.
    There are a number of excellent web sites listed below that provide information about how deadly distracted driving (see below).
  • Set a good example.
    Kids learn from their parents. Put down your phone while driving and only use it when you’ve safely pulled off the road.
  • Talk to your teen.
    Discuss the risks and responsibilities of driving, and the danger of dividing their attention between a cell
    phone and the road. Show them the statistics related to distracted driving. And urge them to talk to others;
    friends take care of friends.
  • Sign a contract with your teen. 
    Have your teen take action by agreeing to a family contract about wearing safety belts and not speeding, driving after drinking, or using a cell phone behind the wheel. Agree on penalties for violating the pledge, including paying for tickets or loss of driving privileges.
  • Spread the word.
    Get involved in educating and promoting safe driving in your community through programs such as Partners for Safe Teen Driving and through online social-media websites.

Links about Distracted Driving

Distracted Driving
U.S. Department of Transportation
http://distraction.gov/
The U.S. Department of Transportation is leading the effort but drivers are the key to preventing distracted driving. The message is simple – Put it down!

Distracted Driving Shatters Lives
US Department of Transportation and Consumer Reports
http://www.distraction.gov/files/for-media/2011/2011-03-04-distracted-driving-brochure-print.pdf
This two-page brochure will help you talk to your teen about distracted driving.

FocusDriven: Advocates for Cell-Free Driving
www.focusdriven.org
FocusDriven educates the public about the dangers of cell phone-distracted driving and supports victims and their families. FocusDriven provides information that hands-free phones are no safer than handheld devices, that texting and driving is a deadly combination, and that the nation’s roadways need to be safer!


Drunk and Drugged Driving

Despite how parents may feel sometimes, research shows that parents are an important influence on whether or not teens choose to drink alcohol or use drugs. Teens do care about their parent’s opinions

Teens who drink alcohol and drive will lose their driver's license for a year and receive either a $500 minimum fine or 50 hours of community service. The law provides a “zero tolerance'” stance against underage drinking and driving, said Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb, the Governor's Highway Safety Representative. Zero tolerance means the legal limit for teens is a .02 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which is the normal alcohol content of the average person. Even a small amount of alcohol can result in a conviction.

"Unfortunately, teens are one of the highest risk populations on our roadways," Holcomb said. "Despite meaningful efforts to curb underage drinking and driving, it still remains a significant problem." In 2010, 1,285 drivers under the legal drinking age of 21 were convicted of drunk driving in Virginia, and most were 18 to 20 years old.

Links about Drunk and Drugged Driving

Mothers Against Drunk Driving
http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/the-power-of-parents/high-school-parents/
Requesting MADD's parent handbook entitled “Power of Parents, It's Your Influence.”  This evidence-based tool, helps parents communicate with their teens about alcohol and to prevent underage drinking. When parents read the handbook and use it to talk to their teens about alcohol, research has shown a reduction in the teens' underage drinking by 30%.

Parent Guide to Preventing Underage Drinking
http://www.abc.state.va.us/Education/underagedrinking/underage.html
New research shows alcohol affects a developing teen brain differently than an adult brain. Unfortunately, one of the greatest threats to our children is underage drinking, as nearly one-third of children between the ages of 12 and 20 in the commonwealth admit to consuming alcohol. Studies also show parents who talk to their children early and often about alcohol have a powerful influence on their child's decision to remain alcohol-free.

Parental Guide to Hosting Responsible Teen Parties
http://www.abc.state.va.us/Education/resources/ParentsGuide.pdf
This guide provides tips for hosting responsible parties for teens.

Prom Safety
http://www.abc.state.va.us/Education/prom/safeprom.html
Statistics show nearly one-third of alcohol-related teen traffic deaths occur during April, May and June, a time when parties and celebrations can turn dangerous and sometimes tragic for underage drinkers.

Virginia Alcohol Laws & Parental Responsibility
http://www.abc.state.va.us/Education/parent2/parent2.htm
Your teen may soon be experiencing two of the most anticipated and rewarding events in his or her life: prom and graduation. As a parent, you have a responsibility to your teen during these high-risk events. It is important to plan ahead and then monitor what happens after the events.

Virginia's Guide for Parents of First-Year College Students
http://www.abc.state.va.us/Education/parents/AGuideforParents.html
For many parents and young adults, bringing up the subject of alcohol is not easy. Parents may be unsure of when or how to begin and your student may try to dodge the conversation. However, it is important for parents to be aware of the risks and consequences associated with alcohol so they can prepare their student. Impaired judgment from drinking can lead to risky behavior causing academic, legal, and personal problems.