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Zero tolerance laws and your teen driver

Parents of a tween? Who’s ready for them to drive? Any hands raised? Um, not mine!

Reality check — one day I’m going to blink and my daughter’s going to be a teenager proudly flaunting her very own driver’s license.  I can feel my hair turning grey just thinking about it.

Now’s the time to start educating your up and coming driver about the dangers they face when they get behind the wheel.

Let’s put alcohol near the top of that list of dangers! You don’t have to parent too long before you start hearing the horror stories.  Tragically, one in ten highschoolers drink and drive according to Center for Disease Control.(https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/teendrinkinganddriving/index.html)

GOOD NEWS!  Teen drinking and driving has reduced more than 50% since the 1990s. 

Zero tolerance laws may play a role in this.  I also like to think that parents are stepping up to the plate and educating their teens.

Hello! I didn’t even know about zero tolerance laws before researching and writing this post . Drinking and driving has never been an issue in my family, so I just hadn’t paid attention.  I’d like to hope drinking and driving never will be an issue for us, but our kids don’t come with guarantees, do they?

You need to be armed and ready with the facts about Missouri law and teen drinking and driving! 

FACT # 1: Zero tolerance laws for drinking and driving under age 21 exist in all fifty states, not just Missouri.

Moving to Illinois will not help! Moving anywhere will not help.  Tell your teen home sweet home is still the best option (or dorm sweet dorm).

FACT #2: Beware of one beer! That’s right. One measly beer and driving could seriously mess up your teen’s life and plans. ONE glass of wine, one cup of hard cider — you name it. Zero tolerance means zero.
NO blood alcohol content permitted!

FACT #3: Under zero tolerance laws, consequences are harsh!  Take a minute to read your teens this news, even if you get the eyerolls.
One online driving course for teens (www.teendrivingcourse.com) listed the following possible results of a first time DUI offense in Missouri.

  • Possible jail time of up to 6 months (That’s more than half a school year.)
  • If you’re lucky, a license restricture of 60 days.
  • $45 License Reinstatement fee – there goes your allowance!
  • Possible $500 fine – now you’re out of a few paychecks IF you can still get to work!
  • Possible Ignition Interlock Device installation — more money, more time, more hassle.
  • License suspension 30 days — if you’re not in jail, you  still can’t go anywhere!

Does this sound like a nightmare to your teen? It should!

Talk to your early teen driver. Ask them some thought-provoking questions.

How would it feel to have to get pulled over when they’ve had  just one beer?

What would it be like to dread facing a judge in court?

Worse yet,  can they imagine spending time in jail?

Do they want to graduate with their class or start college soon?

What about losing their driving privileges? Would that cost them their job? Their employment records might be trashed!

Is one drink really worth all this shame and sorrow?

Knowing the consequences of the zero-tolerance teen drinking and driving laws  just might change your teen’s mind about having a drink.

Sometimes we have to learn our lessons the hard way! If your teen is already facing a DUI charge, you need an aggressive, experienced Missouri DUI attorney!    http://steimel-law.com/traffic-matters.html

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC  understand what is at stake for a young person under 21 facing DUI charges.

It’s worth a free initial consultation to see if you can get a life-time of consequences reduced!  You will get a fair and thorough evaluation of your teen’s case and the best possible outcome.  Call  636-244-3737 today for your free case evaluation.

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

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Drive to survive — even when your cell’s ringing!

Distracted driving has advanced with each new generation.

I once spoke to a small-town resident who spent most of his life in the same county.  “Harry” used to drive his farm wagon into town to deliver fresh produce.  Incredibly,  his horse knew the way home from his route. Harry could day-dream “behind the wheel”, so to speak.  He might have even munched on a stray carrot or strawberry left over from his route. No big deal when you’re limited to a horsepower of one, right?

Fast forward almost a century! (Yes, “Harry” was in nineties when I met him.) Our horsepower behind the wheel is at least 10x what it used to be!

When my brothers learned to drive, cell phones were  still a brand-new, space-age technology. That wasn’t the issue. Early work hours were. Hot oatmeal was still on the menu for breakfast.

Grab and go breakfast meant a tub of hot oatmeal.

Combine that with a newly-minted driver! Dad’s work truck ended up hitting and destroying a mailbox, post and all, due to one tub of hot oatmeal spilling in the driver’s lap.

Fortunately, the residents were understanding. No personal injury lawyers were needed. Just a handshake, a sincere apology, and some sweat to replace the post and mailbox repaired the damages.  No lives were injured or lost. We all counted our blessings!

How many of you eat and drive? Guilty hand raised here! I’m going estimate at least 95% of folks do.

Have you ever had an auto accident related to distracted driving? Did your burger and fries do more damage than just clogging your arteries? What about hot coffee? I’ve had a few close calls myself with that form of distracted driving.

Cell phones! Now there’s the major culprit in distracted driving. Some states ban hand-held cell usage altogether while driving.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,  80% of drivers feel unsafe due to distracted drivers.  How many times have you been tempted to yell at a fellow driver, “Hang up the phone and drive!”?  More times than you can count, right?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving accounted for over 3, 000 deaths in 2015!

Worse yet, the distracted driving auto accident injuries are over the 300,000 mark!

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

Teens are especially vulnerable to distracted driving. Again, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety  conducted a study on teen drivers.  They found teens drive distracted about 25 % of the time.  We all need help!

3 simple ways to avoid causing a distracted driving car crash:

1.) Don’t allow your teen to use their cell phone while driving.  Check their phones regularly. You may have to become the phone Nazi, but saving lives is worth it!

2.) Set the example! Turn your own phone off or on vibrate. Maybe you really need to take a call? Operate hands-free only! Pull over if at all possible. Show your teen how responsible drivers operate.

3.) Limit food intake on the road! Who am I kidding? We’re all going to eat and drive. Our lives are just too busy not to.  At least forget that messy, drippy taco or the super-sized burger whlle driving.

Sometimes I wish we could return to the days of “Harry” and join him on his leisurely produce wagon deliveries.  No massive traffic, no cell phones, no angry drivers cutting you off in traffic, and almost no distracted drivers, right?

Maybe someone in your house has had an auto accident due to a distracted driver.  You need an experienced car crash attorney to help you pursue your best legal options.

http://steimel-law.com/traffic-matters.html

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC are here to help. Call (636)244-3737 for a free initial consulation today!

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship

 

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How to survive your teen learning to drive

Drive to Survive: why some driver’s ed for teens is a good idea

Do you have teens anxious to get behind the wheel? It’s a terrifying stage of parenthood for many folks.  When it is time for your teen to learn to drive, not only do you want full and proper insurance coverage, you want them to have mad driving skills. After all, there are a lot of crazies on the road!

So do you have what it takes to pass these survival skills along? Or do you need to hire a driver’s ed company? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Am I a patient teacher? 

Equipping your teen to drive safely and avoid unnecessary auto accidents takes time, practice, and patience. Loads of patience! Are you ready for that?

Am I a good example?

Step back and take a long look at yourself.  What is your driving record like?

Do you have a history of at-fault car crashes?  Loads of speeding tickets?

Hopefully not a DUI on your record, right? If you’re not pretty clean, you should consider deferring to someone else to teach your teen.

Do I or my spouse have time to invest in hours of driver instruction?

You and I both know it’s a dangerous road out there. Not only does your teen have to deal with their own lack of driving experience, they will have  to deal with the reckless and sometimes dangerous driving of others. You will need to plan to spend many hours beside your teen as they drive in many  different situations and weather. (Just no tornado chasing, okay?)

Does your teen listen to you …fairly well?

Ah! There’s the rub for a number of parents. If your teen constantly tunes you out, teaching them to drive is likely to make these issues worse. You need to know your teen will listen fairly well as you give driving instructions. Patiently, of course!

How well do you know the traffic laws? 

Many of us could use a refresher course, right? Things change over the years.

Some of us, well, know family members or friends we wish we could send to driving school.

Of course, this is no excuse to shuffle the job to someone else. Get the Driver’s Handbook out and review! You could make it a trivia game with your teen.

Is your child’s life worth the risk?

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among teens aged 16-19! Honestly, considering all the distractions available to drivers today, that’s not too surprising. You want to do your best to protect them against a tragic car accident!

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html

Actually, the best option is parental training and a driver’s ed class. 

After all, you are the person who cares the most for your child’s well-being,  right?

Pick the safest parent teacher. You get a refresher course in defensive  driving as you teach your teen what you know.

You’ve lived this long already! Your experience really does count.

Happily, whatever they learn from you is  reinforced by an outside authority.  That way it’s not just what Dad and Mom say.  Your teen may even end up being impressed with your driver savvy. If not,  it’s time to take  them out go-cart racing!

Good news! If you pay for defensive driving classes, you can save on your teen’s auto insurance. 

While driver’s ed is not mandatory in the state of Missouri , defensive driving classes do save you money in the long run. Most insurance companies will offer a 5% to 15% discount for certified completion of defensive driving or even an online driving class.

https://www.dmv.com/mo/missouri/drivers-ed

At The Law Offices of Nathan Steimel, LLC,  we think defensive driving safety is important! It’s like eating healthy food, exercising, and getting  your regular check-ups. 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Knowledge and practice! That’s what it takes to build a safe driving experience for your teen. If you or your teen should end up in an auto accident, you can protect your legal rights by calling our car crash attorneys at (636)244-3737.

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury.html

 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.