Prom Safety: Common Sense Advice for Parents and Teens | DC Metro Area Personal Injury Law Blog

Posted by Salvatore J. Zambri, founding partner

Proms are supposed to be fun.  All too often, though, they end in tragedy.  By combining common sense and advance planning, proms can be both fun and safe. As we have written during previous prom seasons, a primary emphasis for both parents and their teens should be safety.  Having lives shattered or ended is hardly the way that anyone would want to remember their prom.

In spite of all the cautions and warnings available now, the primary cause of death and injury for teenagers is motor vehicle accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  Alcohol is the number one youth drug problem, per the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) and kills six times more people than all other illicit drugs combined.

Listed below are our earlier postings that provide prom advice:

• Senior Prom Safety Tips for Teens
• Prom Safety Tips for Parents and Teens
• Prom Safety Tips: Common Sense Advice

Listed below are more safety tips, courtesy of www.ourpromnight.com.

“Parents, make sure that your children are safe on prom night. There are so many drug and alcohol related accidents on prom night that is is critical for you to be aware of what you can do to help keep your children safe.

• Know who is driving to the prom and who will be a passenger.
• Limit the number of passengers to increase safety and reduce driver distractions.
• Encourage seatbelt use: The best accessory!
• Know the location of post prom parties and who is sponsoring them.
• Talk to your teenager about the serious dangers and consequences of underage drinking and driving.
• If your child’s plans change, confirm the change with the parents of other children.
• Remind your child that you are there for them if they need a ride home or to an after prom affair.
• Alcohol is illegal for persons under the age of twenty-one. Underage drinking is illegal and can result in arrest, injury, or worse!
• Don’t let friends drink and drive.
• Plan ahead – make sure you have a safe plan for prom night.
• Discuss your plans with your friends, remind each other about responsible decision-making and confronting peer pressure.
• Do not accept any drinks from someone you do not know.
• If you leave your drink, discard it and get a new one.
• Do not leave your possessions unattended.
• Learn the warning signs for alcohol poisoning and drug intoxication, contact 911 for assistance and immediate treatment.

Teens, take responsibility and plan your prom night. This will be an important night to remember as you grow old in age. Make this night a joyous night to remember by thinking about and following these few tips before you leave the house for the prom that evening.

• Alcohol is illegal for persons under the age of twenty-one. Underage drinking is illegal and can result in arrest, injury, or worse!
• Don’t let friends drink and drive.
• Plan ahead – make sure you have a safe plan for prom night.
• Discuss your plans with your friends, remind each other about responsible decision-making and confronting peer pressure.
• Do not accept any drinks from someone you do not know.
• If you leave your drink, discard it and get a new one.
• Do not leave your possessions unattended.
• Learn the warning signs for alcohol poisoning and drug intoxication, contact 911 for assistance and immediate treatment.
• Take extra money or have a responsible person available for transportation for a safe ride home or in case an emergency arises.
• Remember to charge your cell phone and have it with you.
• Know where you are and where you are going, keep your parents and friends informed.
• Trust your instincts. If you feel endangered or uncomfortable, leave immediately.
• Intoxication by alcohol or drugs can lead to poor judgment and dangerous situations.
• Remember to contact your parents if your plans change. Practice and discuss answers you can use to get out of uncomfortable situations.
• Do not allow anyone in your car or limo that has drugs or weapons.
• It is dangerous and every one in the car is at risk of getting arrested.
• It is illegal to alter your drivers’ license or any other form of government identification.”

Have a wonderful time if attending a prom, but be careful.  Don’t jeopardize your future or the lives of others.  The prom should be a celebration of past accomplishments and the promise of the future.  Please enjoy the celebration responsibly.

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About the author:

Mr. Zambri is a Past-President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. and has been rated by Washingtonian magazine as a “Big Gun” and among the “top 1%” of all lawyers in the Washington metropolitan area.  The magazine also describes him as “one of Washington’s best–most honest and effective lawyers” who specializes in personal injury matters, including serious truck and car collisions.  Mr. Zambri has also been repeatedly named a “Super Lawyer” by Law and Politics magazine–a national publication that honors the top lawyers in America.

Mr. Zambri is regularly asked to give presentations to lawyers and businesses regarding product defects, automobile accident litigation, and safety improvements.

Mr. Zambri has authored an article regarding how automobile collision cases are evaluated.  To read it, please click here.

To read an article published by one of Mr. Zambri’s clients, who was injured in a tragic automobile collision, please click here.

Many Americans are killed or critically injured each year in vehicular collisions.  If you want more information about your legal rights, please email Mr. Zambri at [email protected] or call him at 202-822-1899.