Illinois car accident lawyers see it all the time. Families come into the office seeking revenge for the loss of their family member because of a teen that decided to drink and drive. Illinois injury lawyers will protect the injured, but also would like to avoid this tragic lawsuit in the first place.
If you are the parent of a teen driver, you have likely given the speech about how they should never drink and drive. Sadly, your one speech is simply not enough to deter your teen from drinking and driving. Your child is at an age where peer pressure is very influential in his/her life, and your words are not as strong as the group of kids cheering your son or daughter on to binge drink.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your child would never drink and drive. It does not matter how “perfect” your child is or how popular your child is, it only takes that one time. Just one talk is not going to do the trick. You need to develop a plan that will actually be instilled in their day to day life.
Tips to help parents instill in their teens the dangers of drunk driving, and to help prevent the opportunity for teens to make that decision.
• Never allow underage drinking. Some parents think that allowing them to do it at home will prevent them from drinking and driving. This is not only illegal, but will backfire.
• Always know exactly where your child is going and when he/she will be home.
• Know who your teen’s friends are and how they will be getting to where they are going.
• Set curfews and enforce them. Do not go to bed until your teen has walked through that door. When he/she does get home, talk with him/her to make sure there are not any signs of drinking, such as: slurred speech, problems focusing with the eyes, swaying, etc.
• Don’t let your teen stay overnight with people you do not know.
• Offer to pick up your teen if he/she ever feels he/she cannot drive.
• Nearly 50% of teens who die in car accidents are the passengers. Make sure your teen understands that no matter where he/she is that you will pick him/her up if the driver is drunk.
The most effective tool for preventing teen drunk driving, as well as any teen issue, is the relationship you have with your son or daughter. Start to develop a bond with your child from a very young age. This bond will help when he/she is faced with the pressures of his/her peers. This is an ongoing process that must start early on in life.
Illinois accident lawyers never want to have to defend a family that has lost a family member because a teen made that tragic decision to give into the peer pressures of life and get behind the wheel drunk. It is tragic for an Illinois car accident lawyer to have to file a case against a teen because he has made a split second decision that would affect the rest of his life and can end another person’s life.
Start early and pay attention. Be involved in their lives and make rules that will be enforced. There is no way to make the decision for them. All you can do as a parent is surround them with love and make them take responsibilities for their actions. This way they understand the consequences of drinking and driving.
