• Safety Tips:
• School Safety: Getting Young Drivers Home Safely
• Community Safety: Playing Safe in the Snow
• Statistics: Teens and Tobacco
• One opinion, open for discussion: Interviewing Abused Children

School Safety: Getting Young Drivers Home Safely

The driver’s license is a rite of passage for all teenagers. Whether it is obtained at age 16 or not until 18, it is an occasion eagerly anticipated by young drivers and dreaded by their parents.

As the statistics in the section below indicate, novice drivers are responsible for an increasing number of automobile accidents. While alcohol and drug use account for some of these accidents, the overwhelming majority are caused by driver error or a distraction within the car such as a cell phone or passenger.

And, it’s just not the parents who are feeling anxious when their teenager gets behind the wheel. School administrators, particularly those whose schools are in areas that are predisposed to snow, also worry, particularly when school is dismissed early because of poor weather.

To help your teenage driver safely navigate through the snow and ice and any other elements the winter may bring, parenting.org offers the following tips:

• Make sure the car has been recently serviced, that the battery and coolant levels have been checked, any leaks have been repaired and that the wipers work and there is plenty of wiper fluid.
• Don’t let the gas tank get less than half-full. There’s nothing worse than having to sit in traffic in a cold car which is exactly what will happen if the gas tank is allowed to get too low.
• Make sure the car’s tires are appropriate for the weather. Depending on where you live, all-weather tires, snow tires and/or tire chains may be needed.
• Instruct your teen driver to clear as much snow as possible off the car before getting on the road. Care should be taken to clean the windows, hood, roof and headlights so that the driver’s visibility isn’t impaired.
• Take it slow and keep a distance of at least one car length between you and the car in front of you.

There are not many kids who don’t like playing in the snow. The first snow fall of the year is probably (next to the last day of school that is) one of the
most anticipated events on any kid’s calendar.

Yet, for all its beauty and fun, there are many real dangers lurking behind those fluffy white flakes. So, before you send your kids outside to play, here
are a few things to keep in mind:

• Limit sledding to backyard areas and parks. While a sloping driveway coated with a few inches of freshly fallen snow may look inviting, it’s a danger – even if adults are there to supervise. Even with an adult standing guard at the bottom of the driveway ready to catch an errant sleigh-rider, cars coming from opposite directions can catch the adult off guard. Snow plows present another danger, particularly since they tend to navigate closer to the side of the road, leaving less time for the adult to move the child to safety.
• Confine snowball fights to the yard as well. Snowballs made from snow taken from the street or sidewalk can contain pellets of salt, sand or other materials used to melt snow. These pellets can seriously injure the recipient of the snowball, especially if hit in the face or eyes.
• Instruct your children to never throw a snowball at a passing vehicle. The impact of the snowball, even if not thrown at the car’s windshield, can startle a driver and lead to an accident.
• Discourage the construction of snow forts. To successfully make a snow fort, heavy wet snow is needed. If a fort collapses with a child inside, all that heavy snow will fall right on top of the child and quite possibly trap him or her.
• Do not let your child ice skate on an unsupervised pond or lake. Even though the ice may look thick enough, ponds and lakes tend to freeze unevenly, which can result in thin ice in some spots. Many public parks have ponds and lakes open for ice skating and have the ability to ensure the ice is at the proper depth.

Statistics: Accidents Involving Teen Drivers

According to DriveHomeSafe.com, 14% of all fatal motor vehicle accidents are caused by teenage drivers. Not surprisingly, the majority - 53% - of teenage motor vehicle fatalities take place over the weekend when younger drivers are out and about later than usual. Further, 45% of teen drivers killed in motor vehicle accidents had at least one other teen passenger in the car at the time of the accident. Some experts believe that the typical teenage pattern of staying up later at night is also a major factor.

These statistics were obtained from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

5,933 teenagers (defined as people ages 13 – 19) died in motor vehicle accidents during 2002. This was a six percent increase over the number of fatalities reported in 2001.

Approximately two out of every three teenage motor vehicle fatalities were male drivers.

The number of fatal accidents involving teenage drivers with blood alcohol concentrations over 0.08 percent is down 66% since 1982.

One Opinion - Open to Discussion

I’m getting a little tired of winter.

Now, if you know me, you would consider that to be a pretty strong statement. I actually look forward to the winter when we can enjoy the snow and warm up by a roaring fire when we’re finished. And, since my family and I ski, winter weather is something that is usually eagerly anticipated.

So, why am I getting a little tired of winter? Well, here in New Jersey, we’ve had a good amount of snow (and ice) to deal with so far this winter which has resulted in 4 snow days so far for our daughter.

And there lies the problem. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the snow days – they are actually a nice break from the daily routine. It’s my friend that has a problem with them.

See, my daughter goes to a local parochial school that draws children from the local area as well as towns 20 or more miles away. When the weather turns bad and road conditions begin to deteriorate, schools is typically dismissed early or called off altogether. I’m the first to admit that maybe they do pull the trigger a little early, but with 13 different bus companies to deal with, I also understand why that’s necessary.

My friend’s kids attend the local public school system. They are also bussed, but because there is just one company to deal with, there are far fewer headaches. As a result, they have has 2 fewer snow days than my daughter.

And so, I continue to be questioned about why my daughter’s school finds it necessary to close school at the first sign of snow. And, while I’ve explained to the issues to her time and again, she just doesn’t get it.

In the end, it’s all about staying safe. And, if that means that my daughter will be going to school a few days more in June, so be it. At least she’ll be here to go.

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