Prom safety critical to avoiding Phoenix car accidents involving teenagers

The Arizona School Boards Association and Phoenix area principals are pushing teenagers and parents to talk about prom safety, ABC 15 reported.

The Arizona car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes urge parents to help make sure teens have a safe and memorable prom season by having an open discussion about the dangers of drinking and driving and unsafe driving habits.In Parker, Arizona, a mock crash scene was set up to illustrate the dangers of drunk driving to high school students, according to the Parker Pioneer.

A total of 1,194 people were killed in Arizona car accidents involving teen drivers in the five-year period ending in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition to Arizona, states that reported more than 1,000 teen driving deaths were Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Texas.

MADD is also promoting “The Power of Parents: It’s Your Influence” to promote safe teenage driving.

Parents can help teenagers make the right choices by:

– Establish clear rules, monitor your child’s behavior, and talk to your child about the consequences of underage drinking.

– Understand that the choice to be drug and alcohol free takes courage, and is often not easy.

– If using a limo, instruct the driver to notify parents if alcohol is present.

– Permit only registered passengers to ride in a limo.

– Do not serve alcohol to an underage person.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Phoenix area car crash, the Arizona injury attorneys at Abels & Annes offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your rights. Call (602) 819-5191.