| Plan with your
teen a sober ride home before they set out.
Your teen is hosting a party
It is important to understand the law if you allow your teen
to have a party at your house. (alcohol
liability) If you are not comfortable with your teen hosting
a party, it is important to explain to your teen why and
articulate your decision. Check out the
Families Rule
pamphlet for more ideas or
Parent Action on
Drugs (PAD).
- Ensure there is a transportation plan for everyone to
get to his or her destination alive.
- Help your teen plan safe transportation.
- Review smart party tips with your teen. (resource
.pdf/.doc)
- Stay sober so you can judge impairment accurately.
Your teen is going to a party
- Know where your teen will be: ask for the address,
telephone number and name of the party-giver.
- Make sure that your teen has a ride with a designated
driver and be a back up if need be. Be clear your teen
can call on you for a ride home. If for some reason you
are not available, arrange to have another trusted friend be
available.
- Sign a
contract with your teen that includes, “no questions
asked” until everyone is sober and ready for reasonable
discussion.
- Plan ahead with your teen – have them stay sober, call a
parent, be/use a designated driver, use a limousine, taxi,
or bus.
Contract for traveling by limousine
Know the Laws: Check out
Ministry of Transportation and
Graduated Licensing Restrictions.
Impaired Driving
Impaired driving, which means driving while your ability is
affected by alcohol or drugs, is a crime under the Criminal Code
of Canada. If convicted, you can lose your license, be fined, or
spend time in jail. Your vehicle does not even have to be
moving; you can be charged if you are impaired behind the wheel,
even if you have not started to drive. For more information see
Ministry of Transportation web site. Remember there is no
safe limit for drinking and driving. Never drive impaired or get
into a vehicle with an impaired driver!
- "The 2007 survey found that 26% of
students had been a passenger in a vehicle at least once
in the past year with a driver who had been drinking,
and 18% with a driver who had been using drugs."
- "No
significant sex differences were found with respect to
being a passenger with a driver who was drinking, or was
using drugs."
- "Riding in a vehicle with an intoxicated
driver (either by alcohol or drugs) increases
significantly with grade level. For example, over
one-third of 12th-graders report each behaviour."
Source: Drug Use Among Ontario Students,
1977-2007, OSDUHS Highlights by: (Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health) |
- Be a responsible designated driver: Don’t drink,
maintain your focus, and avoid distractions. (MTO link to
come).
- If you are a passenger make sure the driver is not
impaired.
- Don’t distract the designated driver.
Report an impaired driver – Call 911
Report: Location, vehicle description, license number,
colour, make and model, direction of travel and description of
the driver.
What to do in the event of a crash? |
