Adventures in Parenting – Is Safe Teen Driving an Oxymoron?

Katy Lee, a school teacher and parent, says: “Even though I’ve made my share of mistakes, I am quite proud that my children are turning out to be pretty “good” people who are growing in compassion, integrity, and character. They are the fruits of my 20+ years of labor – and you thought labor was just 20 hours!

Check out her web site on parenting and her blog articles at these locations:

http://www.AdventuresInParenting.org
http://www.katylee.com/blog
http://www.squidoo.com/joyfulfamily

and a podcast we did together here:

http://www.adventuresinparenting.org/2008/09/24/safe_teen_driving/

Vanessa Van Petten “On Teens Today”

Want to know what real teens think of most parenting advice? At Vanessa Van Petten’s web site, www.OnTeensToday.com, teen writers tell parents what they wish their own parents knew (and didn’t know).

Vanessa has enlisted eight teenage writers, age 13-17, to talk honestly about real issues that teens and pre-teens are dealing with, so parents can actually understand at least a small part of the teen world view — and finally develop better relations.

According to Vanessa, “As much as I LOVED my freedom when I was a teen, I know that adolescents are often two steps ahead of parental controls and because of this, watched many of my friends make really, really bad decisions. So, we have decided to break open the door to our SECRET, terribly complex world and let you in. Ok, I am exaggerating just a tad, but I do truly believe that if we help each other stay informed, we can stay safe, supported and become happier adults.

Vanessa Van Petten has been featured as the Young Parenting Expert in the Wall Street Journal, the Santa Monica Daily Press, World Journal, Atlanta Insite Magazine and more. She has also appeared on the Greg Mantell Show, Playboy Radio and numerous other radio and internet podcast shows. She has a nationally syndicated parenting column out of Epoch Times, New York City.

Vanessa has recently named the Safe Teen Driving Club blog as one of the “Best 50 Dad Blogs.”  Be sure to check out the wealth of information at her site, OnTeensToday.com for a real view into how teens think and why they act the way they do!

Sue Scheff, P.U.R.E. Helps 15,000 Parents and Teens

Sue Scheff is the founder of Parents Universal Resource Experts (P.U.R.E.). Her organization was founded in 2001 and for the past several years has assisted families with valuable information and resources for their children and teens who are at risk — teens struggling with peer pressure, experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and simply good kids starting to make bad choices. Doctors, Attorney’s, Therapists, Police Departments, Schools, Guidance Counselors and other professionals refer Parent’s Universal Resource’s to families.

Over the years Sue and her team have helped over 15,000 families dealing with troubled teens and difficult teen issues. Visit her site at www.helpyourteens.com and be sure to learn more at www.suescheff.com and her blog at http://parentsuniversalresourceexperts.wordpress.com where she’s recently posted an article about Safe Teen Driving Club.

CAUTION-NEWLY LICENSED bumper sticker provides a “shield of protection”

Susan Kessler worked for almost three years to build a partnership with the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which is responsible for licensing teenage drivers. Her  “CAUTION: Newly Licensed” magnetic bumper sticker is now available from libraries, police departments and every DDS licensing station throughout the state.

The CAUTION-NEWLY LICENSED® Car Magnet was developed to reduce teen car crashes and fatalities. The magnet identifies teens with Learners Permits and First Year Licenses. Placed on the rear of the vehicle, the magnet alerts other drivers to use extreme caution, courtesy, and patience. A proven method to reduce teen car crashes is more experience behind the wheel.

The CAUTION-NEWLY LICENSED® car magnet provides a “shield of protection” from other drivers and allows the teen to concentrate on the road. The magnet protects not only the inexperienced drivers, but also surrounding drivers. Buses, semi-trucks and drivers education vehicles clearly mark new drivers. The same concept works for teen drivers. Identifying teen drivers is already the law in many other countries including those in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia.

The CAUTION-NEWLY LICENSED® Car Magnet Program launched a pilot program in Cobb County, Georgia in April 2007 with a distribution of more than 3,000 magnets with tremendous success. In October 2007, the CAUTION-NEWLY LICENSED® car magnets became available nationwide. We believe that by working together as a society, we will save teen lives. Please help us by identifying all new teen drivers.

Check into our online Safety Store to learn more and pick one up for your teen today. For $10 you can’t go wrong!

Let Your Teens Show They’re Responsible Drivers!

Give your teen a way to show they’re responsible drivers — and give yourself some peace of mind!

Lemur Autovision is a brand new product from Newfoundland, Canada. It’s a key fob that keeps track of the speed your teen drives, how many times they slammed on the brakes and how many miles they drove. All without the hassle of being in the car with them.

Your son or daughter says, “Mom, I need to go to the library for a study group.” You and your teen both know that Autovision will keep track of the mileage and how fast he or she drove. Just check the key fob when your child returns home. It’s a truly innovative, simple and inexpensive way to let your teen show his or her responsibility behind the wheel. No computer needed!

Parents: You can set a secret PIN number into the device to reset the unit after each trip. If anyone else tries to reset Autovision, a “TAMPER” sign will appear on the LCD screen.

One parent says: Neat! If my kid brings home a report card, I look at it and ask them why they got a C in Math, or applaud them for any A’s.

I am not spying on them or showing a lack of trust. I want to know how well they are doing at school. I care!

Same with my car. Show me they are a good driver, whether I am with them or not, and maybe they get to use the car more often. After all, it’s my car and I pay the insurance.

Autovision comes with a tiny sensor that plugs into the OBD II port – that’s the little plug at the bottom of your dash the mechanic plugs into when diagnosing engine problems or checking your emission control system. Just plug it in and it will begin sending messages to the Autovision key fob. There’s nothing to install and no monthly fees.

Here’s a tools for parents and teens that doesn’t invade a teen’s privacy, but allows parents to coach or discipline children for speeding, taking unauthorized side trips or driving aggressively. We’re glad to be offering this great new teen safety device. Visit our store and pick one up today.