Safe in 60: How to have a safe graduation night celebration

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Over the next few weeks, thousands of teenagers will be graduating from high school. With that comes post-graduation celebrations.

If you’re like me, while your teen is out celebrating, you are probably sitting at home worrying about their safety.

Here are some things to think about in the upcoming graduation weekend.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in young people across the nation, and highest in teenagers ages 16-19 years old, who are three times more likely to be involved in a traffic accident.

See if other parents would pitch in for a limo or transportation for the teens to take to and from celebrations.

If your teen is driving, set rules on the number of passengers who can be in the car. The more passengers, the more distractions for the young driver.

Make sure your teen has extra money to rent alternative transportation if needed such as a cab, Uber or Lyft.

Set a reasonable curfew.

Always be available by phone for your teen. Let them know no matter the circumstance, they can always call you to come and pick them up.

Don’t let your child rent a hotel room. This can lead to unwanted guests, drinking and it’s just asking for trouble.

Remind your teenager not to drink. This might seem redundant, but the more you tell them, the more likely they’re going to think twice before making a potentially bad decision.

Also talk to your child about the dangers of receiving a drink from someone they don’t know. Date rape drugs are very easy to drop into someone’s drink while they aren’t looking.

Know where they’re going, and know who they’re going with. Make sure you have contact numbers for their friends, and their friends’ parents.

Let’s all work together to make this a safe graduation 2018.