Unprotected Text…
We’ve seen the reports – we’ve heard the stories, we know the statistics, yet they still do it, and we still flail a bit and wonder how to get through to them. Bottom line is this: Texting while Driving is DANGEROUS.
It’s scary enough to know that my teenager is about to be on the road by himself – assuming he passes his test on Wednesday. After all, I’ve BEEN in the car with him these past two years teaching him to drive. Just kidding – he does really well. but still. TEENAGER. in BIG TRUCK. WITHOUT me to NAG. Or to stomp on the phantom break on the passenger side in a panic while he rolls his eyes and groans… but then there’s the added fear that my parents didn’t have: texting.
The laws are there – don’t talk on the cell phone, don’t text while driving. It’s one of those laws that makes me shake my head on one hand – because you’d think that would be common sense, but on the other – we’re talking the human race, and we, collectively, have repeatedly shown our lack of common sense.
Problem is, most parents are too soft, too weak to take away their kids phone. Harsh? You bet. Parents need to parent their kids – so do it! Excuses like ‘they need it for emergencies, they need it to keep track of where they’re at’ – it’s just that. An excuse. You’re kid does something dangerous, then you need to man up and make the punishment fit the crime. They text and drive, take it away. They do it again, turn off texting period. Take away the keys. MAKE them RESPECT the privilege of driving, of texting, hell, make them respect the privilege of breathing! We did just fine with pay phones growing up – they can too!
So how do we break through to our kids, and get the dangers imprinted into their text addled minds? The creators of a PSA in Wales think they know: a psa so graphic, bloody and real that it shocks them into silence – hopefully texting silence while on the road. There’s a huge debate right now about whether the PSA is ever going to get past USA Censors so it can be seen by our kids. Fortunately it’s on youtube – with over 500k views, and climbing.
Whether it ever gets through the censors, I encourage you STRONGLY to show this to your kids before they get into their car, and TALK TO THEM about it. List the consequences of their actions as well, should they text and drive. Make sure that they know they will lose the privilege – and it IS a privilege, not a right.
Some parents are afraid that scare tactics won’t work, some think the statistics won’t work, some think that their teens will do whatever they want anyway, so why bother? I’m telling you now -watch the video below, and then? Bother. Bother them until you’re blue in the face. My family is on those roads with your texting teen – I will do everything in my power to make sure that MY teen is not texting behind the wheel while you’re family is out there. I expect the same from you.
