Listen
Speeding
Sometimes, we all just have “one of those days.” You have been there - running late, spilled coffee on your work shirt, car keys somehow seem to have magically disappeared, left the iron on and have to run back in the house. So, you decide to speed in an effort to get to work on time. Or maybe you’re just in a bad mood and don’t realize how heavily your foot is pushing on the gas pedal. Maybe you decide to speed up and swerve in front of a particularly slow driver just to get to the red light first. Your teens see this behavior, and chances are your teens will emulate it, too.
Teenage boys have been infamously known to blow off some teenage male angst by grossly exceeding the speed limit, but don’t think your little princesses aren’t doing it, too. Oh yes, parents. A 2010 Allstate Foundation study shows that 47 percent of girls now admit to speeding more than 10 mph above the limit, versus 36 percent of boys. While your little girl may harbor an ambition to be the next Danica Patrick, speeding off the racetrack should never be allowed.
- Speeding tickets in most states range from $200-$500. Make it clear to your teen that if they are issued such a ticket, you will not be paying for it. Based on the circumstances of the incident, this may just be the first of the consequences.
- Most teens don’t know that speeding can be considered reckless driving, and that comes with a hefty fine and the possibility of imprisonment.
- Lead by example. Stick to the speed limit yourself and show your teens that racing up to the red light doesn’t get you anywhere, any faster.
