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A new program was introduced at Calhoun County High
School on Tuesday, Nov. 10. “Strapped For Cash?” was initiated at the
school parking lot by State Farm Insurance. Tim Moore was assisted by
Brenda Bush and Terry Hickman.
During National Teen Driver Safety Week, the State Farm
staff handed out dollar bills to teen drivers who had their seat belts
fastened when they passed the check point. Thirty occupants received
dollar bills, while 41 did not qualify.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for
adolescents and young adults in the U.S. Six out of 10 drivers, ages
16-20 who were killed in crashes, were unrestrained. Almost two-thirds
of three teens killed as occupants of motor vehicles are unrestrained.
A friend told me of a near tragedy when his grandson was
in an accident and was not wearing a seatbelt. The young men were going
from school to a nearby practice field. The young athlete was a
front-seat passenger. When the vehicle in front stopped suddenly, it
caused their car to stop and the passenger was thrown forward, hitting
the windshield. They were then hit from behind and a backseat passenger
came forward and hit heads with the young man. He was then thrown to the
right-side window for a third blow. He is recovering, but missed the
last three games of his junior year, and suffered severe headaches from
the concussion. His grandfather said, “He is now the first one to insist
that all persons in the vehicle fasten their seat belts.”
Parents can make a difference. Remember, too, that any
adult who touches a child’s life can be a parent. The material furnished
to us by Tim Moore describes the difference between four styles of
parenting:
--The Permissive Parent
says, “I’ll trust you to do the right thing.” They trust, rather than
monitor.
--The Uninvolved Parent
says, “Kids will be kids--you’ll learn from your mistakes.” They set few
rules, do not monitor, and offer little active support.
--The Authoritative Parent
says, “I care, and I’ll give you the freedoms you earn, but for
safety-related issues, you’ll do as I say.”
--The Authoritarian Parent
says, “You’ll do as I say.” They set many rules and closely monitor, but
offer little support.
You can make a difference. You might even save a
person’s life. Train a teen to be a safe driver. “Train up a child
in the way
he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart
from it.” --Proverbs
22:6.
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