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As I woke up in the emergency room, everything seemed to be quite a blur. For a second I took a look around me and noticed an overwhelming response when I had finally awoke. My head felt like someone was pounding on it with a hammer, my body felt sore all over, and my arm burned from the IV which was inserted in the most inconvenient place. I didn’t quite remember how I got there, but all I knew is that I was surrounded by several people who were happy to see me, my family and the medical professionals.
As I tried to move my arm in hopes of rubbing my face which had a nuisance of an itch, I realized that I was unable to do so. After fidgeting and attempting the same task over and over, the nurse came over to me and told me that I had a severe fracture that was going to require surgery. I remember looking at her dumbfounded. She leaned close to me and asked me if I had remembered what happened. As much as I tried to fight it, I had no recollection of what happened or how I even ended up in the emergency room. Apparently I was in some sort of car accident which involved myself and another driver.
My first thought was not of myself, but of my daughter. It was a beautiful day outside and I had several errands to run. As always, I have always brought her with me to do these errands, since that is our time together since I work frequently. As the panic mode set in, the nurse could see the terror in my eyes. I remember her telling me that my daughter was fine. In fact, she was never in the car with me. I felt silly for not even remembering my day and if my own child was with me.
As I calmed down, the nurse and the doctor explained to me several times that the accident was caused by a young driver who had only received his license roughly two months ago. He was also taking advantage of the beautiful day with a car ride to pick up his friends out in the country. Apparently I was driving and I hit an intersection with a light. I proceeded to go through the light, as it was green, and the teen driver slammed into my driver’s side of my vehicle. The boy who was driving was not just using his cell phone to have a conversation with someone at the time, but was actually texting while he was driving. His explanation was that as he was approaching the light, it was still green. By the time that he had gotten to the light, it had turned yellow and then to red, but because he was using the texting feature on his cell phone, he never saw the light change. By the time that he had realized the light had changed, it was too late.
Luckily for him, he only suffered minor injuries from the accident. Weeks later when I saw pictures of the accident, it sent chills down my spine. I kept thinking how much worse the situation would’ve been if my daughter was in the car with me. I spent roughly 2 weeks in the hospital after having surgery on my arm to repair the fracture. Luckily the surgery was not too taxing and did not involve much work or pinning.
But as cell phones become increasingly popular amongst young children and teenagers, the potential for harm not only to the child, but to others is huge. It is important that new drivers, especially teenagers, are taught the importance of not using a cell phone or cell phone features while driving. While many states have laws that target this age group, it is important that parents and the driver’s education teachers stress the importance of being safe while driving.
Here are some tips that parents and teacher’s alike can share with their teens to ensure everyone’s safety when behind the wheel:
1. Have a no cell phone policy – Sure, we all need cell phone’s in case of emergencies, but sometimes we need to take that step and totally block this when it comes to teens behind the wheel. Driving is a place of concentration, as a situation can arise almost immediately. There was life before the invention and widespread use of cell phones and there can surely be life after wards.
2. Hands Free Handsets ARE NOT the answer – Just because you have a hands-free handset for your phone does not mean that you are safe by any means. In fact, a hands free handset can cause just as much distraction as holding the cell phone itself and talking on it. Driving involves concentration and talking on a cell phone, whether you are holding it or not takes away from that concentration.
3. If your state has a cell phone and teen driving law and your child gets caught, let them pay the fines – When you learn how to drive, you are accepting a certain responsibility. If your teen is caught using a cell phone while driving, make them pay the fines that are associated with the disregard of the law. Many states have laws that impose heavy fines on teen drivers and also put the teen at risk for losing their license for a period of time. Is any conversation really worth all of that?
4. Create a contract – Driving is going to be a huge privilege in your household, but make your child earn it. Just because they have their license does not mean that they are entitled to the car. Sit down with your teen and discuss what your expectations are when it comes to driving the family vehicle. Discuss what is not allowed and what you expect from your teen driver. Make this a discussion and be flexible. Compromise, but never when it comes to the safety of your teen or of others. Make sure that you outline the punishments for breaking any part of the contract.
5. Be a role model – Yes, we are all guilty of talking on our phones at sometime during our car ride. But really try to be a role model for your child. If it is going to serve as a distraction, then shut your phone off. Whatever it is surely can wait. Children learn certain behaviors from us, so show them the right way to do things.
6. Pull Over – Tell your teen driver that if they absolutely must make a phone call, then the safest bet is to just pull over and make the call. This might add a few extra minutes to the trip, but it’s always better to be safe than to be sorry.
You can use these tips to hopefully instill the importance of being a good and a safe driver in the minds of your teens. If you’re ever in doubt, then address the issue in a calm matter. Consistency is the key when it comes to your teen driver and cell phone usage. If there is a problem, then you need to talk it over. Be consistent in your handling of the matter. The one time that you let something slip might be the one time that people’s lives can be changed forever.
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