'I'm Gonna Be a Safe Driver!'

Prepare your children now for safety behind the wheel

The rules of the road—At the Da Vinci Science Center, students from Allentown’s Ritter and Holy Spirit elementary schools learn about driver distraction, seat-belt safety and how emergency personnel respond to accidents. In photo above, (l-r) Tanya, 10, and Gehar, 9.

It’s a sobering fact: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States. As a parent or grandparent, you can help make the roads safer by looking at your own driving habits, says emergency medicine physician Bryan Kane, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Next time you’re in the car with your child or grandchild, make sure you’re being a good role model. Children pick up on your actions and assume they’re OK.”

To encourage youngsters to start thinking early about what makes a safe driver, Kane and his hospital colleagues worked with the Da Vinci Science Center to create an interactive display. “It’s designed to help young people make the right decisions before getting in the car and while driving,” Kane says. Here are some of the key points in the display:

Don’t get distracted—Whether it’s goofing around with friends, playing with the radio or drinking a soda, distractions are a major cause of car crashes. “Driving is one of those times in life when you shouldn’t multitask,” Kane says. “Would you want a pilot texting his friend while he’s trying to land your plane?”

Don’t drive impaired—Before turning the ignition key, think about how taking that drink—or being exhausted, or not properly maintaining your car— might impact your driving. “You can’t predict when something bad will happen,” Kane says. “But you can make sure you and your car are in the best shape to drive.”

Always buckle up—Drivers age 16-20 have the lowest rate of seat-belt usage, and the highest number of unbuckled injuries and deaths. “Buckling up is so simple and so important,” Kane says.

Want to Know More? For information from the ALERT Partnership on helping teens drive safely, call 610-402-CARE. For details on the Da Vinci Science Center display, see page 20.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, May-June 2008

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