Your high school or college student is already counting the days until spring break. If they’ve got a brand new driver’s license (or even if they’ve been driving for a few years now), you may be nervous about them hitting the road with other spring breakers. Whether they’re headed to the Mississippi Gulf Coast or points further south, there are things you can do to help them stay safe.
Maybe you’ve had the “drinking and driving” talk a hundred times but have it again. Even if they aren’t the ones behind the wheel, they should never get in a car with anyone under the influence of any type of drugs or alcohol. They should never be in a car where there are drugs or alcohol present. Give them the tools they need to keep their friends from driving under the influence.
If they’re headed to the beach, even the effects of a beer or two can be impacted by the sun and heat, which can make hangovers from the night before worse, cause dehydration and increase fatigue. Even without alcohol in the mix, it’s important to stay hydrated and protected with sunscreen to reduce the effects of the sun that can impact people’s ability to drive safely. A good pair of sunglasses is also a necessity.
If your teen is planning to drive straight through to Miami Beach or maybe up the coast for some late-season skiing with friends, make sure they have plans to take turns driving. Even with a schedule, if a driver starts getting drowsy, they need to let someone else take the wheel (or maybe stop for a while entirely).
If your child is taking your car (or theirs), be sure that it’s had a check-up and is ready for a trip. There should be an emergency kit in the car and a good spare tire. If the car doesn’t have a built-in GPS, be sure your child has a navigation system that’s hands-free (such as a phone that can plug in to an onboard app like Apple CarPlay.)
Even if your child does everything possible to stay safe, they can be injured in a crash caused by the person they were riding with or the driver of another vehicle. If they are, make sure they get the compensation they need to deal with medical bills and other expenses and damages.
