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Health & Fitness

Please Talk To Your Teens and Young Adults about Drinking and Driving...Sign The Contract

Driving Contract

For those of you who have teenagers or young adults..I'd like to ask a favor.

We were all young once. Think about the things you were doing and proceed.
Although we'd all like to believe our kids won't drink until they're 21...99% of them will. Although we'd like to believe they will never drink and drive or get in a car with someone who is drunk....some of them will.

Take the time TODAY to speak to them about never ever driving drunk or getting in that car. Make them a deal...tell them they can call you for a ride. Tell them you will not yell. Tell them they will not be punished...tell them you'd rather pick them up in the middle of the night rather than pick them up at a hospital or worse yet a morgue.

If they drive, write up a contract. State that if they drink and drive...you will sell their car and spend the $$$ on YOU and make them watch. State that you will pick them up any hour of any day. Sign it...make them sign it!!! Mean every word.
You can be annoyed if you're woken up, but you can't refuse to pick up! You can't punish...but you can make it up in other ways.

Very recently a young man in our community drove drunk. I got to the scene of the accident shortly after. I have no idea how he got out, but he did. The SUV looked 1/2 the size it used to be. He hit two parked cars. His SUV flipped! He will now be dealing with the repercussions of what he did. His life is changed forever! He needs extensive surgery. He has legal problems. HE IS THE LUCKIEST KID I KNOW TODAY....by some miracle ....he is alive!

Although you like to think your young loved ones don't drink and don't drink and drive ...far too many of them are doing just that!!!! Please have that talk again today...you may just save their lives!

Remember none of us is raising angels. They are normal young adults who sometimes need a gentle reminder.

I've included a driving contract.  Read it over with your teen or young adult and both of you sign it!  You may very well be saving their life and the countless lives of others by keeping drunk driver's off the road.  It's just an example...change what you want ...but remember...you promised!

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DRIVING CONTRACT

 Young adult

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I _____________________ promise to NEVER drink and drive.

I _______________________ promise to never get in a car with someone who has been drinking.

I______________________ promise I will call my parents or loved one for a ride.

I___________________  promise to not text and drive.  I will wait till I can pull over to a safe place to check my messages.

I___________________ know if I break this contract and somehow make it home alive my parents have the right to sell my car even if I bought it myself.  They can take the proceeds and spend the money frivolously on anything they want.  I have no right to say one word after all…. I chose the wrong thing and lived to talk about it.

Parent:
I ________________________promise my child can call me at any time day or night ,on any day for a ride if they have been drinking and need a way home.

I am allowed to be annoyed if woken in the middle of the night but I promise not to yell and scream.  I will not punish them for calling me.  We will talk about it calmly tomorrow.
I __________________  promise to love you enough to always come and get you.  I would much rather be woken up in the middle of the night for a ride and be tired rather than having to pick you up at the hospital or worse yet the morgue.

I _______________promise if I find out my child drank and drove or got in the car with someone who did I will sell their  car and use the money on something I’ve always wanted and could never afford.  Something they would see as senseless!

Both:

I______________________ and I_____________________both agree to the terms of this contract.
We both believe this makes much better sense than having to say goodbye to someone we love due to a very stupid decision. 

(Directions:  read this contract.  Both parent and young adult child sign.  Talk about what you’ve just signed.  Now hug each other…..you might have just saved one another’s lives and lived to see another day of loving.)

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