Does your teen buckle up?
Monday March 9, 2009
An article on HULIQ.com cites some pretty tough statistics for parents to read:
“According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young Americans, and young drivers have disproportionately high rates of fatal crashes per 100,000 drivers. NHTSA also reports that two-thirds of teens killed in accidents nationwide were not wearing seatbelts.”
My daughter has recently started driving and she is in the habit of having a seat belt on even in the backseat of the car. I’m of course hoping that this good habit continues and I’m ready to reinforce it with consequences if not. Do you think pulling the keys for a day would be going to far if your teen needed a constant reminder to buckle up? I think we often sound like a broken record to them, therefore a small consequence might be needed.
Poll: Does your teen buckle up?
We have a “the car doesn’t move until everyone is buckled in” rule that has been enforced since the kids were little. They would never get into a car and not automatically buckle up. If they are in a car where an adult has not buckled up – they will speak up and tell them to do it! My oldest will be driving soon, and I know she will buckle up as well as require all her passengers do the same. I never start the car unless I’m buckled in – not even to back the car out of the driveway – it’s the best, safest habit in the world to have and it quickly becomes automatic.
I’d take the keys away in a heart beat if I ever caught mine in the car unbuckled, I’d also take them away if passengers were allowed in and not buckled. In my state, the police can pull you over and ticket you if you are caught unbuckled.
This article has been included in the latest edition of Mom’s Blogging Carnival
I agree. My boyfriend just had a buddy who lost a brother who hardley wore his seatbelt he dropped a c.d. went to reach for it and wrecked and it killed him. His brother would tell him to click it in his car sometimes he would. if people don’t in my car I say get out or yell and scream go for it u wanna die thats your choice but they buckle up in there cars thinking since there in backseats they don’t have to. and it’s the law here mom says stop being harsh there alright but it’s not alright people in backseats of cars get injured and killed to I wish she’d understand that she wears hers all the time. But my friends alot of them buckle up and make there g/fs and b/fs buckle up even if there a passnger and one hates it but she is 20 maybe he needs to scare her into it. She wears hers while driving but when a pssanger or in the backseat she throws fits.
An assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering University of Utah developed a device that could detect and disable cell phones while they were in motion, perhaps using GPS technology, so teenage drivers, in particular, could not talk on the phone and drive at the same time.
Teens need to learn from a very young age that seat belts save lives. It cannot be acceptable for teens to not wear their seat belts. Ticket or Click-it has been a very good public safety campaign and they should step up the advertising for it nationwide.