We have always believed that parents play a major role to play in preventing alcohol-related car crashes among teenagers.That line of thinking doesn’t come merely because we are Atlanta car accident attorneys, but also because we’re parents ourselves.That is also why we also encourage parents to talk about the dangers of alcohol excesses with their children.
A study published last month shows that a combination of being involved in your child’s life and what he or she is up to, as well as a solid base of support and affection, can help reduce a vast number of problems associated with teenage drinking.Obviously, one of those problems would be driving under the influence.Teen motorists continue to be one of the most high risk groups for intoxicated driving.Much of this has to do with peer pressure.Parents can do much to negate the harmful effect of peer pressure by providing a warm, stable family environment, and also keeping track of what the child is doing outside the home.
The study published in the July issue of Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs surveyed about 5,000 kids about their relationship with their parents.The key components of the survey were
Did the children have parents who were affectionate and loving towards them?
Did the parents frequently keep track of what the children were doing outside the home?
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to parents or Atlanta drunk driving accident attorneys to learn that children who came from homes where the parents were loving and affectionate, and showed a deep interest in what the child was doing outside the home, had a lower chance of binge drinking.For this kind of parental influence however, it seems important that parents meet both criteria-provide a loving family environment and a strict attitude when it comes to the child’s activities outside the home.
Parental influence might not mean much when a child begins to drink.However, it could prevent him from indulging in alcohol excesses, like binging or drinking more than five drinks in a single day.Such kind of behavior is often linked to teen motorist accidents, the number one killer of teenagers in America.