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

Most teens believe they are invincible, however when it comes to driving a vehicle, they need to understand their responsibility not only to themselves, but to other drivers and their passengers. The Safe Teen Driving Club and TeenDriving.com may be a place to start with your new driver. Located just outside of Jacksonville, The Safe Teen Driving Club , Inc., is based in Atlanta, Georgia has been chartered to help parents educate, mentor, manage and monitor their teen drivers. They provide parents of teen drivers with tools, services and technology solutions they need to monitor the driving habits of their young drivers. With the help of parents, teen drivers can enjoy enhanced safety, security and protection. The Safe Teen Driving Club and TeenDriving.com has some parenting tips for parents that are dealing with new drivers.  Now, during a holiday weekend, it is a great reminder that parents need to remind their teenagers to drive safely and one of the biggest ...

New Year's Eve is upon us and whether you are planning on going out or staying home it is important to know and  understand that buzzed driving is drunk driving .  They kill equally and destroy families in the same way. Last year, an average of 62 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes each day over the New Year’s holiday.  Don't become a statistic and don't cause one. Show your support to end buzzed driving by pledging to make good decisions by not driving under the influence of alcohol. Take the time to share the pledge with others and with your help, we can end buzzed driving. I'm going to be smart; I won't drive while buzzed.   Even just one too many drinks can impair my driving and lead to devastating consequences. It's just not worth it. Buzzed driving is drunk driving so I'm going to make sure I make responsible choices that don't endanger myself and others. - Sue Scheff   Isn't it time you took the pledge? ...

As many schools will be off for the holiday break, and many more college students will be driving home, have they taken the time to be sure their car is ready for the road? We get busy with our shopping, packing, cooking, party planning - but do you take the same diligence with your automobile? FACT: A growing body of research indicates that close parental management of teen drivers can lead to less risky driving behavior, fewer traffic tickets, and fewer crashes. FACT: In 2008, about 3,500 teens in the United States aged 15-19 were killed in motor-vehicle crashes. FACT: Just like reviewing a school report card for good grades, using the CarCheckup system will allow your teen to prove that they are a safe and responsible driver. FACT :  Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations. FACT:   In 2008, half of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred between 3 p...

When safety trumps privacy - is when invasion of privacy is thrown out the window. As a parent keeping our children safe, especially our new young teen drivers is a priority. Many teens believe they are invincible and accidents only happen to other people.  Sort of like those other people are the only ones that get STD's or have bad things happen. Newsflash - bad things can happen to good people. NBC's Kevin Tibbles had an interesting segment today on TODAY about how parents are taking back technology, that their kids are so far advanced in, and using it to protect their teens and children.  The question is, how much parental monitoring is too much? ( Watch segment on sidebar .) The three resources of advanced technology that were discussed are as follows: ZPass | Ridership Tracking :   For Student TrackingZPass was designed specifically for pupil transportation to monitor student ridership in a safe and non-intrusive way.  Knowing if and when...

The scary reality is that as anxious as your teen is to get their driver's license , the risk of them having an auto accident increases.  For any parent this is stressful and is a point of concern.  Parents and their teens need to understand the major responsibility they undertake when they hit the road.  Yes, parents too.  They need to lead by example and be a good role model.   If a parent doesn't use their seatbelt, which is the law in Florida , the teen is likely to mimic this when the parent is not around. A new group called, GoTellMom.com is hitting the pavement and creating an awareness and accountability to drive responsibly. The goal of the program: to protect teenage drivers and promote safe driving habits.   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), " Drivers aged 16 to 19 years of age have the highest average annual crash and traffic violation rates of any other age grou p." In addition, " 16-y...

Teen driving.   There is more to teaching our teens how to drive than just being behind the wheel.  Responsibility is " key " - and that is literally! Have you ever locked your keys in the car or simply lost your keys?  What do you do?  Of course years ago the hanger was a simple solution, however with newer model cars, you can potentially damage them that way. Safety matters in all situations and when your teen hits the road solo it can be a moment of stress and anxiety for most parents.  However many have been called when they have lost their keys or locked them in the car?  It is a call, although it could be so much worse, it is stressful and time consuming. Many parents have a membership to AAA which can save you a lot of money and grief, since getting help is only a toll-free call away and usually the costs are minimum. Some insurance plans also offer emergency roadside services. American Family Insurance offers a fantastic Teen Safe...

I am currently reading, " Crash-Proof Your Kids " and I am so impressed at all the information in one book! Of course, I cheated and moved forward in the book, and couldn't believe how much valuable tips, statistics and advice is listed. As soon as I am done, I will place this book on my Books and Website blog . For now, I think this is such a critical topic for parents, I am posting an article from the author from the website, Crash Proof Your Kids . The Jekyll/Hyde Syndrome By Timothy C. Smith As parents of teenagers we’re already painfully aware of their ability to change their personality overnight. Or sometimes in the course of half an hour, depending on the fluctuations of hormone flow and incredibly annoying things we do to trigger their bizarre behavioral changes. Well, recent research indicates that there really is a biological basis for this schizoid behavior. Dr. Jay Giedd, chief of brain imaging in the child psychiatry branch at the National Institute of Me...

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...