Kids reach the “age of reason” well before the driving age. Then something happens; they become stupid an irresponsible. Efforts to force teenagers into wearing safety belts doesn’t work since there’s no perceived consequence. If it takes a basic “learning experience” like having their ribs broken or slamming face first into a windshield then so be it. Parents are the front-line influence on their children’s driving habits. Schools and associations can help, but they bear no responsibility for some hot shot that thinks it’s un-cool to belt up. If they choose to run the risk, they deserve the hard lesson.
I do agree with you about the school of hard knocks, Dread.
But as a parent, you better believe I’m all up in my teen’s grill about driving safely and wearing his seat belt.
We have discussed which is more un-cool:
Wearing a seat belt, or lying in a casket?
Driving safely, or being schlepped around town by mommy and daddy because someone decided to show off and got himself a ticket or a wrecked car.
I think he gets the point. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop reminding him about making good decisions, especially when it comes to driving.
The data in this article is alarming to me. I had no idea the numbers were so low. Hopefully my teen, who is actually a very good kid, isn’t among the irresponsible majority when I’m not looking. But if he is… then the consequence is his choice and he will have to deal with it.
I agree with Dread. But I have used another solution to the problem. I used the ignorance and naivete factor of most teens. For my sons, I have taken their car for one day and told them I was taking it to the mechanic and had a monitoring device installed that relays information back to my computer which tells me where they are, how fast they have driven, if they are wearing seat belts and also the additional weight in the vehicle and trunk via sensors to determine if they have additional passengers or maybe the weight in the trunk is alcohol. They didn’t believe I really had this done, but I had my mechanic make up some phony invoices and then I followed it up with a few observations I made up that they must have done as I was not challenged. It’s amazing what they will believe sometimes.
I just don’t believe another seat belt law on the books is going to help. Parental involvement with real consequences for not obeying the rules it what will get the attention of anyone.
KLS, your welcome. I have many others that I use as well. My sons are amazed that I may seem not to “understand their generation”, but almost always know what they have been up to. I keep reminding them that I was there age once too! My best line is when they leave the house is “no glove, no love”.
Compman: while your chicanery might have some short term impact, once the kids “test” the system and find out there is no device, the backlash could be damaging. First of all, you lied to them. Second, you comprised their trust in you, so why should they believe anything you tell them? As they become adults, there isn’t going to be someone looking over their shoulder to keep them out of trouble and invent schemes to frighten them into compliance. Just some thoughts.
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Kids reach the “age of reason” well before the driving age. Then something happens; they become stupid an irresponsible. Efforts to force teenagers into wearing safety belts doesn’t work since there’s no perceived consequence. If it takes a basic “learning experience” like having their ribs broken or slamming face first into a windshield then so be it. Parents are the front-line influence on their children’s driving habits. Schools and associations can help, but they bear no responsibility for some hot shot that thinks it’s un-cool to belt up. If they choose to run the risk, they deserve the hard lesson.
I do agree with you about the school of hard knocks, Dread.
But as a parent, you better believe I’m all up in my teen’s grill about driving safely and wearing his seat belt.
We have discussed which is more un-cool:
Wearing a seat belt, or lying in a casket?
Driving safely, or being schlepped around town by mommy and daddy because someone decided to show off and got himself a ticket or a wrecked car.
I think he gets the point. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop reminding him about making good decisions, especially when it comes to driving.
The data in this article is alarming to me. I had no idea the numbers were so low. Hopefully my teen, who is actually a very good kid, isn’t among the irresponsible majority when I’m not looking. But if he is… then the consequence is his choice and he will have to deal with it.
I agree with Dread. But I have used another solution to the problem. I used the ignorance and naivete factor of most teens. For my sons, I have taken their car for one day and told them I was taking it to the mechanic and had a monitoring device installed that relays information back to my computer which tells me where they are, how fast they have driven, if they are wearing seat belts and also the additional weight in the vehicle and trunk via sensors to determine if they have additional passengers or maybe the weight in the trunk is alcohol. They didn’t believe I really had this done, but I had my mechanic make up some phony invoices and then I followed it up with a few observations I made up that they must have done as I was not challenged. It’s amazing what they will believe sometimes.
I just don’t believe another seat belt law on the books is going to help. Parental involvement with real consequences for not obeying the rules it what will get the attention of anyone.
Compman, that is brilliant, totally sneaky, and an idea I just might steal! Thanks for sharing!!!
KLS, your welcome. I have many others that I use as well. My sons are amazed that I may seem not to “understand their generation”, but almost always know what they have been up to. I keep reminding them that I was there age once too! My best line is when they leave the house is “no glove, no love”.
Compman: while your chicanery might have some short term impact, once the kids “test” the system and find out there is no device, the backlash could be damaging. First of all, you lied to them. Second, you comprised their trust in you, so why should they believe anything you tell them? As they become adults, there isn’t going to be someone looking over their shoulder to keep them out of trouble and invent schemes to frighten them into compliance. Just some thoughts.