Safe Teen Driving Blog

Many parents who warn their teens repeatedly not to use illegal drugs are unaware of the temptation and risk posed by over-the-counter medications such as cough medicine. But cough medicine provides an inexpensive, easily accessible high to one out of 11 teens, according to the Partnership for a Drug-free America. And teens are often ignorant of or in denial about the risks posed by over-the-counter medicines which, they reason, are safe and legal. A 2008 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study indicated that only 45% of teens think taking cough medicine to get high is hazardous. Teens may not consider that though dextromethorphan (DXM) is safe to take in the recommended 15-to 30-milligram dose, they are likely to consume 360 milligrams or more in the effort to get high.

The effects of overdosing on DXM include:

Confusion

Impaired judgment

Blurred vision

Slurred speech

Dizziness

Nausea and vomiting

Excessive sweating

Loss of motor control

Dissociative (out-of-body) sensations

Paranoia

Hallucinations

Irregular heartbeat

Loss of consciousness

Seizures

Brain damage

Death

The situation becomes even more dangerous when teens abuse drugs they believe are safe and then get behind the wheel. To make matters worse, many teens who experiment with using cough medicine to get high do so when they are already under the influence of another drug, such as alcohol. This intensifies the effects, and, of course, makes driving riskier.

Information on how to abuse DXM is readily available on the internet and via teens' friends, so parents must counteract it with information of their own - and with vigilance. Here are some tips for parents:

Familiarize yourself with the basics of cough medicine abuse. Words to watch for (on your teen's internet history) and listen for include Dex, DXM, Robo, Robo-ing, Robo- tripping, Skittles, Skittling, Syrup, Triple-C, and Tussin. DXM is found in syrups, lozenges, tablets, capsules, and gel caps labeled DM, cough suppressant, or tuss, or include the word "tuss" in the name.

Include discussions about the risks of abusing over-the-counter drugs in your regular talks with your teen. Explain the difference between therapeutic dosages and overdosing, as well as the effects. Tell your teen that you want to know whenever they need to take any medication for any reason.

Lock your medicine cabinet or keep medicines that contain DXM in a location that isn't accessible to your teen. Keep track of how much medicine is in each container. Avoid buying multiples of medicines that contain DXM; doing so can be tempting to teens, and also makes it more difficult for you to keep track of the total amount of medicine in your household.

Observe your teen, your teen's bedroom and bathroom, and recreational areas carefully for medicinal smells and empty cough medicine containers.

Labels: driver education, teen driver

Many teens are so excited to get their driver's licenses that much of the training they received prior to licensure is quickly forgotten. But it's important for new drivers to follow the fundamental rules of the road, and adapting speed to conditions is one rule that's frequently broken.

Driving too fast for conditions is considered speeding and can result in a traffic ticket. But that's not the only reason to slow down - driving too fast for conditions is a contributing cause of many motor vehicle crashes. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds (based on 2005 figures, which are the latest mortality data currently available from the National Center for Health Statistics).

A 2009 analysis of speeding-related crashes by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that following the speed limit is not enough to prevent a crash when conditions warrant a reduction in speed. The study showed that in speeding-related crashes that caused one or more injuries, 26% of the crashes were contributed to be exceeding the posted speed limit, while 74% were due to driving too fast for conditions. In property-damage-only crashes where speed was a contributing factor, 18% of the crashes were due to exceeding the posted speed limit and 82% of the crashes were contributed to by driving too fast for conditions.

Drivers should reduce their speed:
-immediately when it begins to rain. Roads become very slippery just after the rain begins, because the rainwater mixes with oil on the road that has been dropped from passing vehicles. Driving too fast on wet roads can result in skidding, when the vehicle loses traction with the road and the driver loses control of the vehicle.
-when roads are slippery due to snow or ice. Vehicles have even less traction on snowy or icy roads than they have in rainy weather. On icy roads, drivers should slow to a crawl and get off the road as soon as possible.
-in foggy or smoky conditions. Fog and smoke make it difficult to see ahead, and reducing speed reduces stopping distance.
-before a curve. Too often, drivers realize that they are moving too fast when they are already in the curve, but lowering speed in a curve results in a loss of traction that could cause a skid. Always reduce speed before entering the curve.
-in construction zones. Lower speed limits are usually posted in construction zones, but the new speed limit may not be low enough, especially for new drivers. The distraction of all the activity in the work zone and changes in the road surface can cause more difficulties for drivers who are inexperienced.
-around school zones and playgrounds. Again, lower speed limits are posted in school zones, but children are often present when the lowered limits are not in effect. Children are unpredictable and may walk, skate or bike into the road without checking for traffic.
-at night. Visibility is reduced at night; street lights and the vehicle's headlights cannot entirely make up for this.

It's also important to monitor your speed carefully on rural roadways with higher speed limits. Since the speed limit is already high, it's easy to drive too fast for conditions, which often include curves, animals, farm equipment, and roads that are not well-maintained.

Pressure from teen passengers should also be considered. Passengers may encourage the driver to travel at or above the speed limit. Resisting this pressure is an important exercise in maturity for teen drivers and is an integral part of keeping their driver's licenses. Unfortunately, it could even be a life-and-death matter.

Labels: driver training, speeding, teen drivers

In 2007, 4.4 million teens reported that they had abused a prescription drug at some point in their lives, according to the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS). Abuse of prescription drugs by teens is on the rise, and parents need to be vigilant to keep their teens from using. Many teens who illegally use prescription drugs get them from their own homes, though they can also obtain them from friends and the internet.

Many teens use prescription drugs to get high, but they may also use them to relieve anxiety and stress, sleep better, improve concentration and increase alertness. Even teens who stay away from street drugs are vulnerable; a "good kid" might take amphetamines so she can study longer and keep her grades up. According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, adolescents are more likely than young adults to become dependent on prescription medicines.

But the risks of using prescription medications are not well understood by many teens, according to PATS; about four in ten teens surveyed perceived prescription drugs used without a prescription to be safer than street drugs. The Office of National Drug Control Policy says that when teens abuse prescription drugs, they often characterize their use of the drugs as "responsible," "controlled" or "safe."

Illegal use of prescription drugs is far from safe, however, particularly if a teen takes prescription drugs and drives. The most commonly abused prescription drugs are painkillers, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants. All of these drugs act on systems in the brain that control driving behavior and impact motor skills and thus can lead to impaired driving ability. Teens often abuse prescription drugs at "pharm parties;" each teen brings prescription drugs from home, the drugs are combined in a big bowl (called "trail mix"), and each teen consumes a handful; after the party, teens whose judgment is impaired often get rides home from other impaired teens.

In addition to the physical danger to their own children, parents whose teens use illegal prescription drugs and drive incur huge financial risk. Though the level of liability varies by state, parents can be held liable for the negligent acts of minor drivers. If a motor vehicle crash that results in injury or death occurs and a court finds that a parent should have known, or knew, that their teen was using illegal drugs or drinking alcohol while driving, the financial consequences of a lawsuit could be devastating.

Ensuring that teens don't take advantage of prescription drugs in your household requires a high level of alertness. Consider storing prescription drugs in a small lockbox, keeping a count of prescription drugs, checking your teen's room and recreational areas regularly for pill bottles, and checking the computer's internet history to make sure teens aren't shopping for drugs online.

Talking to teens about illegal prescription drug use is important too. Several studies indicate that teens are much less likely to use alcohol or any other drug when parents have consistently expressed their feelings on the issue.

Labels: prescription drugs, safe driving

Though teens cannot legally celebrate the fourth of July with alcohol, teen drivers still have to contend with intoxicated drivers on the road. Summer is always a dangerous time for teen drivers; they are at particular risk on holiday weekends.

Risk factors for teens on the road during holiday weekends include:
-Due to their limited driving experience, teens often have difficulty handling emergency situations; for example, they might try to pass a driver who keeps drifting into their lane.
-Teens may have trouble recognizing when other drivers might be impaired and neglect to allow an adequate space cushion between their vehicle and the vehicles of those drivers. For example, they may tailgate a vehicle traveling far below the speed limit.
-Teens often have poor impulse control, which could lead them into playing traffic games with aggressive or impaired drivers, such as racing from one traffic light to another.
-Teens may be so preoccupied with their own driving that they fail to notice the actions of other drivers.

Here are some tips on how to recognize an impaired driver:
-their vehicle is straddling two lanes
-they have a close call, such as nearly hitting a parked car
-they make wide, clumsy turns
-they are traveling well below the speed limit (10 mph or more)
-they are following too closely
-they are braking erratically or stopping at inappropriate places (such as at an intersection with a green traffic light)
-their headlights aren't on at night, or they leave their turn signal on for a prolonged time

Teens can use defensive driving techniques for safe holiday driving:
-Always wear your safety belt. This is your best defense against impaired drivers.
-Obey the speed limit. Driving too fast means you have less space to respond to hazards.
-Avoid being distracted from watching the road by noisy passengers, loud music, or using a cell phone.
-Maintain an adequate space cushion on all sides between your vehicle and other vehicles. If you notice someone driving erratically, increase your space cushion.
-Observe the behavior of other drivers, but keep your eyes moving; don't get so distracted that you miss another hazard.

Teen drivers can report possible impaired drivers to local law enforcement, but parents should make sure their teens understand that they must pull off the road and stop before using a cell phone.

Labels: teen defensive driving, teen holiday driving