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Talking to Other Parents

Written By Stephanie Modkins

Talking to other parents about safe driving is an excellent way to unite your community and prevent accidents. Statistically, teens are at a higher risk of having a car accident than any other group. So, they need coaching from informed parents who aren't afraid to give them the facts about safe driving in a meaningful way. You can help facilitate this type of talk in a variety of ways. Here are a few tips.

1. Ask to meet with the other parents.

Call the other parents in concern and ask to meet with them. Explain upfront what you want to talk about and why. Work with them on an agreed time and area, so no one feels inconvenienced. Then, be sure to show up for the meeting.

2. Give the facts about teen accidents.

After thanking the other parents for meeting with you, tell them about the statistics surrounding teen drivers. Let them know in 10 minutes or less why teen drivers are at a high risk for car accidents and why they as parents need to do something about it. Then, use the next 20 to 50 minutes to give a presentation about the risks teens face on the road. Be sure to do your homework in advance to ready yourself for this part.

3. Use visuals to drive your point home.

For some people, seeing is believing. As a result, don't be afraid to use visuals to drive home your points during your presentation. These visuals can be pamphlets or DVDs. They need to be current ones that show at a glance the risks that teens face on the road and what happens when they are uninformed or reckless. They also need to help give them tips on what to tell their teen about safe driving and how to do it.

4. Model an effective teen-parent talk for them.

Many parents are intimidated at the thought of talking to their teen about safe driving for fear of sounding stupid. Help them out by modeling an effective teen-parent talk for them. Be sure to practice it prior to the meeting so it is clean. Also, let your aim be to show the other parents how easy it is to talk to their teen about safe driving in a meaningful way.

5. Let the other parents ask you questions.

Be sure to open up your conversation with the other parents to questions. If possible, in advance, try to consider what common questions the other parents might ask, so you have good answers. However, if you are hit with a question you can't answer, let the other parents know and get with them later with additional information.

6. Don't be afraid to enlist the aid of an expert.

If you plan on meeting with more than one set of parents, a great idea is to enlist the help of an expert. It can be a police officer or teacher who can give specialized information about teens and safe driving. An expert can add impact to your meeting and give information to the other parents that you may not be privy to.

7. Offer up parting gifts and teaching aides to the other parents.

Magnets, buttons and pamphlets with messages on them regarding safe driving tips for teens should be a part of your meeting. You want the other parents to recall what you said to them, so they can use it in the future with their teens. You also want these parents to have items to use in their talk with their teen.

8. Leave things open for any future meetings.

Because teens continue to be at a higher risk for car accidents than any other group, be open to meeting with the other parents in the future. Set out the parameters for it, especially if your area has trouble spots in it. Trouble spots are places that teens are notorious for having car accidents in. You may want to take your talk to another level in the future and brainstorm for ways to make these areas safe.

In conclusion, talking to other parents about safe driving is an excellent way to join forces with another party and keep your neighbor safe. So don't shy away from it. Take the lead and help reduce the numbers of teen car accidents in your neighborhood.

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