DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog

High school students become anxious over proms for any number of reasons, including expenses.  On the other hand, parents are much more worried about their child's safety.  Several common-sense tips for parents and their prom-focused teen are offered by News for Parents, an on-line parenting magazine.

• Talk to your child about specifics: itinerary, contact information, curfew, etc.  "Discuss drinking, drugging, driving under the influence, and sex.  Reinforce your belief in their character and ability to act responsibly."
• Know who you child will be riding with and the rules for avoiding the dangers of driving under the influence.  "You need their promise on these rules.  These rules are non-negotiable."
• Make certain that you and your child have post-prom parent-child check-in calls. Establish some mandatory call-in times.
• Give your child the unconditional option of calling you at any time for help or advice.

According to Mothers Against Against Drunk Driving (MADD), "Statistics show that traffic deaths among teens during typical prom season weekends (March 1-May 31) are higher than any other time of year. In 2005, 290 young people ages 15-20 were killed in alcohol-related crashes—of those 198 deaths involved a 15-20 year old impaired driver."

Locally, Montgomery County Schools has become affiliated with a national program,  "Every 15 Minutes" designed to give teenagers a "real-life experience without the real-life risks."  Promotional material for "Every 15 Minutes" states that,  "This powerful program will challenge students to think about drinking, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions when lives are involved."