Safety Showcase
Tips for staying safe on prom night
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My 16-year-old daughter will be going to her first prom soon. I want her to have a good time, but I'm worried about her safety on a night when so much drinking and driving is going on. Any advice?
With the advent of spring, teenagers around the country are looking forward to prom night and graduation activities. It's a very exciting time in a young person's life, and naturally parents want their children to have fun, but they also want them to be safe.
"All the more reason to reinforce the message that drinking and driving can be disastrous," says Gary Pace, Ph.D., clinical director of May Institute's school for children and adolescents with brain injury. "According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol-related crashes kill more young people ages 16 to 20 than any other age group. And many young people who survive serious automobile accidents are left with life-threatening or life-altering brain injuries."
Most young people will assure their parents that they know all about the dangers of drinking and driving. However, some who would not drink and drive could find themselves in a situation where they might be tempted ride with someone who does.
"Statistics reveal that eight young people die every day in alcohol-related crashes," says Pace. "Many of these deaths occur in the spring and summer months following prom night and graduation parties. And many of these fatalities are caused by traumatic brain injuries that, in most cases, are preventable."
Traumatic brain injury impacts approximately one million children every year, with 165,000 requiring hospitalization. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, more people experience traumatic brain injury each year than breast cancer, HIV/AIDs, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries combined. Currently, more than five million Americans are living with disabilities caused by brain injury.
For those young people who survive a life-threatening brain injury, long-lasting effects may impact their ability to function well at school, home and in other settings. "Don't assume that your daughter knows all the potential consequences of drinking and driving," says Pace. "Talk to her and discuss some of the alarming statistics. You should also get to know her date, ask about their transportation plans, and where they plan to go before and after the prom. Don't be shy. This is too important not to talk about."
Pace recommends that parents get involved with school-sponsored activities such as safety nights and staged crash scenes designed to discourage drinking and driving. "You might also help plan after-prom activities that do not include alcohol," he suggests. "And I think it's a good idea for parents to make it easy for their teenagers to get a 'no-questions-asked' free and safe ride home at any hour of the night - not just on prom night, but anytime they might feel uneasy," said Pace.
For more ideas, contact Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Students Against Drunk Driving.
Patricia Ladew is a writer for the May Institute. She can be reached at pladew@mayinstitute.org. Dr. Gary Pace is clinical director of May Institute's school for children and adolescents with brain injury in Brockton. He can be contacted at 800-778-7601. For more information about the school, contact Andrea Potoczny-Gray, director of social services, at 508-588-8800, ext. 124.
© 2005; May Institute is a private, nonprofit organization committed to providing the highest standard of behavioral healthcare, educational and rehabilitative services.
May South, a subsidiary of May Institute, has locations in Georgia and Florida. The organization provides intensive in home-behavior therapy, family support, and consultation to children with autism, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and other developmental disabilities who live in the Southeast. In addition, May South provides training and consultation services to public schools, educational collaboratives, and private agencies, and offers a network of case management services for adults with mental illness.