The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

With school opening shortly many teens will be driving for the first time to school. A recent AT&T survey found that 97% of teens say they know that texting is dangerous. The survey also found: · 75% of teens surveyed say that texting while driving is “common” among their friends; · Almost all teens (89%) expect a reply to a text or email within five minutes or less; · And 77% of teens report seeing their parents text while driving. Wireless provider AT&T *, seeking to bring attention to a serious road-safety problem, today urged all Americans to pledge to stop texting while driving, and then to join with others September 19th to make a lifelong commitment to never do so again. AT&T’s “ It Can Wait ” public awareness campaign is focused on a simple, powerful message: No text is worth dying for . AT&T plans to spend tens of millions of dollars on the campaign in 2012 and has made it an ongoing commitment in future years. ...

It's the law, buckle your seat belt and demand your passengers click-it too! Many teens think they are invincible, it is up to the parents to stress the importance of seat belts. Seat belts save lives. In Florida, traffic crashes take the lives of thousands of people a year. Most of those who die on the road are not buckled up. With the busy Memorial Day weekend approaching and spring break is here, law enforcement agencies across Florida are once again joining the Click It or Ticket safety belt enforcement campaign. During the crackdown, drivers and passengers will be ticketed if they are not buckled up. If children under 18 are not properly protected, the driver gets the ticket. In 2007, an average of nine people a day died on Florida roads. So protect yourself, your family and your friends. Be sure that everyone on every trip buckles up. And if you click it, you won't get a ticket. Click It or Ticket is a cooperative effort of the Florida Department of Transport...

When your teenager reaches the age of their new freedom, called driving, it can cause many parents to reach stress levels that they never knew existed. Or quietly honestly, just hoped this day would never come, since it was only yesterday we taught them to ride a bike. As a Parent Advocate I believe an educated parent is a prepared parent that equals a safer teen! I know personally the stress I went through when both my teens (now adults) started driving. What I found to be interesting was that my daughter was very anxious to get behind the wheel and had her permit within a week of her birthday. My son wasn’t in any hurry and actually was 18 before he got his license. We all have different teens with unique personalities; however the nature of parenting usually doesn’t change: we worry. I am listing a few great resources targeted at helping you with this next stage of parenting teens - teen drivers. Teen Driving – A must read and print out, Teen Driving Contract . This website offers...

Source: Education.com by Anita M. Smith, Vice President, the Institute for Youth Development Source: The Institute for Youth Development TEEN DRIVING It's one of the few rites of passage in the American culture. A time of exhilaration for teens, a mixture of relief and dread for parents. And no matter how intense the anticipation or anxiety, it is an inevitable step for both parents and teens - teen driving. While many teenagers can't wait to sit behind a steering wheel signifying more independence, many parents try to delay handing the car keys to their son or daughter. This step is fraught with emotions and can quickly become a less than positive experience for both parents and teens. While nothing will solve all the issues or salve all the emotions related to teen driving, some common sense approaches by parents can help assure their children's safe transition through this period. Whether your children are toddlers or teens, consider the following ideas: 1.Decide on your...

Source: Safe Teen Driving Club The CAUTION-NEWLY LICENSED ® Car Magnet was developed to reduce teen car crashes and fatalities.The magnet identifies teens with Learners Permits and First Year Licenses. Placed on the rear of the vehicle, the magnet alerts other drivers to use extreme caution, courtesy, and patience. A proven method to reduce teen car crashes is more experience behind the wheel. The CAUTION-NEWLY LICENSED ® car magnet provides a "shield of protection" from other drivers and allows the teen to concentrate on the road. The magnet protects not only the inexperienced drivers, but also surrounding drivers. Buses, semi-trucks and drivers education vehicles clearly mark new drivers. The same concept works for teen drivers. Identifying teen drivers is already the law in many other countries including those in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The CAUTION-NEWLY LICENSED® Car Magnet Program launched a pilot program in Cobb County, Georgia in April 2007 with a distrib...

The January Safe Teen Driving Newsletter January 2009 is here! Here's Where You'll Find Answers: How to Keep Your Teen DriverSafe, Secure & Protected There's an epidemic in the US that's taking the lives of our youngsters. Driving fatalities are the number one cause of death among youngsters age 15 to 20. Driving crashes surpass suicide, homicide and all other causes. Over 300,000 teens are admitted to hospital ER's each year -- many with life-changing injuries. Among licensed drivers, young people have the highest fatal crash rate of any age group. What's more distressing, teens at age 16 are twice as likely to die in fatal car crashes as 18 to 19 year old teens. This is largely due to their youth and lack of experience behind the wheel. We know your life is busy. We're here to give you the support, help, information and services you need to keep your youngster safe...in a quick, easy-to-use format. Parents tell us they're concerned about issues lik...

O-kay, I am in Florida and have a soft spot for oranges and tangerines, but when I discovered a new Parenting Website that promotes today’s teen issues and parents concerns, I had to share it with you. Tangerine Times , created by Myrna Lantzsch , offers a variety of Parenting Tips, Articles, Blogs and more. Her motto: The Sweet and Sour Life with Teens. Recently Myrna wrote about Teens and Texting while Driving - and this is huge concern for many of us. We are hearing more and more how car accidents due to cell phone use are increasing, and we need to educate our teens of the dangers of using their phones while driving. Here is her follow up article: In an effort to provide additional information and updates on the subject of “Texting While Driving” post - I discovered this story on Salon.com. In the article, they discuss other technologies to aide with the “disabling” of a cell phone for texting purposes. Both of the companies discussed, (WQN, Inc. and Aegis Mobility) both utilize th...

I think it is so important for parents to become informed as their young teen (in some states, as young as 15 years old) take the wheel. It is a such a major responsibility and as a parent, we need to take the responsibility very seriously. Any vehicle, driven by an adult or a teen, can be dangerous if not handled intelligently and with caution. Safe Teen Driving Club is a website every parent should take the time to read. It has tremendous tips and information that can help you help your teen become a safe driver from the moment they receive their permit.

By ADDitude Magazine Young motorists with ADD need to be extra careful on the road. Here's how they can drive safely. Motorists with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) - especially teens - need to be extra careful on the road. Here's how to help them minimize distractions and stay safe. Pick a safe car. Larger cars offer greater protection in the event of an accident. Help your teen with ADD learn to drive. Practice sessions should cover a variety of situations. Ask that he drive with an adult for at least his first 500 miles behind the wheel. Don't let your teen drive at night. Most fatal crashes involving young drivers occur between 9 p.m. and midnight. Don't let your teenager chauffeur other teens. Remind your teen that he must wear a seat belt at all times ...and that he must never drive after drinking or using drugs. For more on keeping teenagers safe behind the wheel, see AD/HD & Driving: A Guide for Parents of Teens with AD/HD , by J. Marlene Snyder, Ph.D...

By Connect with Kids Shattered It’s hard to get teens to really listen when adults talk to them about the dangers of drinking and driving. Your kids will listen to Shattered. The program features true stories from real teens whose lives were drastically changed as a result of drunk driving. Watch and learn together, and suddenly the pressure is off your own children as they relate to the kids onscreen. You won't be talking at your children... you'll be talking with them. “I didn't think I’d ever be one of these people, you know, that drinks and drives and hurts people, but I am.” – Jayme Webb, her story, in Shattered Shattered is a no-sugar-coated, heart-wrenching program, with facts and tips from experts to help parents and teens avoid the risks of drinking and driving. “As teenagers, we always think we are invincible and nothing bad is ever going to happen to us,” says Whitney, 16. But bad things do happen. Nearly 3,000 teenagers die each year due to alcohol-related car ...

As parent that survived both my teenagers learning to drive, it was definitely very stressful and nerve wrecking! Connect with Kids provides valuable information for parents that may be preparing for their young teen to take the wheel. Especially with today's cell phones - text messages and other teen distractions - it is imperative our kids know what a responsibility it is to drive. By Connect with Kids Behind The Wheel When kids get their license, it opens up a world of freedom, and a world of risks. More teens die driving than any other age group. While we can’t protect our teenagers from everything on the road, we have to at least try to protect them from themselves – young drivers are inexperienced, easily distracted and typically drive as if they are invincible. Children won’t always listen to adults. That’s why our programs always feature real kids that your kids can relate to. In Behind the Wheel, teens share their true stories about driving and crashing – broken bones...