Spring may take its time arriving in New England, but with budding trees and blooming flowers comes prom season.
It’s a great time to remember how to keep your child and their friends safe.
Is your teen driving? Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Don’t drive distracted. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than half of teen drivers used a cell phone while driving, and more than 1 in 4 reported typing or sending a text message while driving in the previous 30 days.
- In New Hampshire, drivers are banned from handheld cell phone use for adults and drivers under age 18 are banned from all wireless device use. All drivers are prohibited from texting while driving.
- In Maine, drivers under 18 with an intermediate license are banned from using any kind of wireless communication device while driving, including all handheld and hands-free cell phones and text messaging devices.
- Limit how many people are in the vehicle. Passengers are a distraction. Also, drivers under the age of 18 may be limited as to how many other passengers may be in the vehicle when they drive so be sure to check their license provisions.
- Don’t drive drunk, high or buzzed (even a little). A sober driver is a safe driver.
For you parents at home, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Know where your teen will be and who they will be with – the entire night
- Fix a curfew and stick with it. Tell their friends, too. In New Hampshire, drivers under 18 are prohibited from driving between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. In Maine, that curfew is 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.
- Offer to drive or arrange for hired transportation.
Sources: NH.gov, Maine.gov
