More than 5,500 young people die every year in car crashes, and thousands more are injured. As a parent, you can play an important role in reducing these numbers and keeping your teen alive.
You might want to consider a parent teen driving agreement.
Here are some tips from the Dr. Deborah Greenhouse and the AAP to keep your children safe behind the wheel:
- Be a role model. If you expect your teen to drive safely, you need to drive safely too.
- Always wear your seatbelt.
- Don't drink and drive. Never allow any alcohol or illegal drugs in the car.
- Don't eat, drink, talk or text on your cell phone, or do anything else that could distract you from your driving.
- Stay within the speed limit and obey all traffic signals.
Dr. Deborah Greenhouse is a pediatrician in Columbia, South Carolina. She received her undergraduate degree from Clemson University and her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine. She holds a clinical faculty appointment in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. She is currently the president of the South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.