Your teen’s prom night is a major milestone in their life – and maybe yours. Unfortunately, for some families, it becomes a night they are unable to ever forget for the wrong reasons.
Any crash involving your teen can feel devastating, but if it happens on prom night, it could feel even more so. Here are some tips that can increase the chances that this is an event you all can look back on fondly.
Absolutely no alcohol or drugs for drivers
Teens often do things they did not intend to do due to the weight of peer pressure. Maybe your child would never dream of drinking and driving or has never used any kind of drugs in their life. They may think that gives them the right to take the car to the prom and drive home afterward.
However much you trust them, it can be very hard for them to say no to insistent friends who try to get them to have a drink or a joint. Sometimes a teen will just give in to their friend’s demands to get some peace, and that could put them at risk of impairment if they then drive.
A safer option is to drop them off and pick them up yourself or book a ride for them. Perhaps you and other parents could pitch in for a limo, which would reduce the cost and give you more peace.
A code word for if they want to bail
Many parents agree on a code word with their kids for nights out. The teen can slip this into a text or a call to their parent to get them out of a situation they don’t want to be in without losing face in front of friends. They use the word, and you tell them they need to come home now because, for example, their grandmother has been taken to the hospital.
It could allow them to drive home safely or call an Uber or Lyft, rather than being pressured into driving their friends to continue the party elsewhere when they are already tired. Remember, driving when tired is also dangerous.
However careful your teen is, there will likely be others on the road late at night who are much less so, perhaps including drivers who attend the same prom. If a collision does occur, legal guidance may be crucial to claiming the compensation needed for medical bills and other expenses and damages.