Beware of dangerous driving habits during prom season

There is nothing like the air of spring. It helps people escape from the icy tombs of winter, it brings back sports that we love (baseball) and it signals the coming end of another school year. But before graduations are held, prom season must begin. For teenagers, it is the night of glitz, glamour and fantasy that can make lifelong memories.

Most of these memories are positive, but given teen drivers’ propensity for reckless behavior, it could lead to tragedy when they do not use good judgment. As such, teen drivers and their parents must have honest and frank conversations about the consequences of drinking and driving as well as distracted driving.

Indeed, drinking and driving is universally frowned upon when it comes to teens. Young drivers universally know that they should not drink and drive, even though they may not know that any amount of alcohol in their systems can lead to a criminal charge. While a Mothers Against Drunk Drivers survey indicated that less than 10 percent of teen drivers admitted to drinking and driving, the reality is that more teens actually do so. After all, how many teens are ready to admit to doing something that could get them in trouble?

Not only are there criminal implications to these actions, there are civil liabilities as well. A criminal conviction can be used as a showing that a teen driver failed to use reasonable care while behind the wheel. If such a failure leads to an accident that causes injury, the teen (and most likely, a parent) could be held liable.