During the holiday school break, kids typically have more free time. Sometimes this is a good thing, and other times it can mean idle time finds them doing troubling things. As I wrote about a short time again, The Choking Game, is another type of entertainment that teens should never engage in.
We don't hear a lot about "trunking" but it is not only illegal it is extremely dangerous. Connect With Kids reported on this new trend and at this time it is time for parents to have a reminder.
Bob Wilson, Chapter Director, National Safety Council says: "As a parent, I think the consequences [for trunking] should be very severe. If that child is already driving, revoking driving privileges for a period of time would certainly be appropriate."
As reported by Connect with Kids: A startling new trend has emerged among teenagers. Just to get around the new graduated license laws - that ban new drivers from having other kids in the car - some teens are now riding in the trunk.
Every state is a little different, but the rules for teen driving across the country are getting stricter.
16-year-old Karla Greene explains: "Once you get your license you can only have family members in the car."
"And then," says 18-year-old Matt Simon, "you can't drive past midnight until you turn 18."
But, says Bob Wilson of the National Safety Council, "we're trying to keep our teens safe - and it's proven that by restricting other teenage passengers it reduces risk to them."
But many teens, inconvenienced by the new rules, have found a way to get around them.
It's called "trunking."
"I've ridden in the trunk a few times," says 20-year-old David Mack, "We had too many people in the car and I was the smallest one, so it all came down to me."
But many kids fail to realize that trunking is not only illegal- it's incredibly dangerous.
Best friends Chris Snyder and Scott Atchison were riding in the trunk of a car when they hit a tree. "The trunk lid popped open in the crash, ejected them onto the highway and they were run over," says Wilson.
Sadly, both teens died.
Experts say parents need to make the driving laws explicit.
"It's the parents responsibility for getting their teenager through the teenage years safely," explains Wilson. "Certainly the trunking issue comes into play- cell phone use, alcohol, drug use, seatbelt use- all of those are parent responsibilities to make sure their teen is compliant."
Parenting Tips
- If you find that your child has been "trunking," make the consequences severe. Suspend all driving privileges for a period of time. (Bob Wilson, National Safety Council)
- Maintain a zero-tolerance policy with your teen regarding alcohol - on and off the road. (National Safety Council)
- If your state does not have teen driving restrictions, set your own. Make sure your teen is able to drive safely before they drive at night or with friends in the car. (Allstate Insurance)
- Any unbelted passenger is at extreme risk in an accident- whether they are in the cabin or in the trunk. Insist that your child always wears a seatbelt. (Bob Wilson, National Safety Council)
Be sure to talk to your teens and kids about this "game" and how dangerous it is. Be an educated parent - you will have safer teens.
Watch video below for more information - be informed and show your teens. Trunking is illegal!
Comments
Great article Sue!! This is truly something to be concerned about!
but as stated in the article by make driving laws u kno were not goin 2 follow u r puttin lives @ risk so i think the laws should be banned because they stupid
I have never heard of such a thing. I was researching the NY Times for information on adolescent's risky and life threatening behavior due to the growth in technology and freedom in the media technology (internet, explicit moves commercials, magazines, even comic books)and I can across your article on the choking game which lead me here. I am shocked by both and hope people who have read your articles spread the word to other parents and talk to teens. If there are any other articles you have written involveing this subject matter it sure would be helpfulfor my senior project. I am A student at upper Iowa University. Thank you.
That's an obvious boob-job, one that should never attract attention in that cleavage-exposing outfit. Anyway, I suppose flashing a scalpel damaged rack is the perfect complement to the 1960s hairstyle and the Valley Girl accent.
Kate, put those melons back on the produce shelf where they belong.
The porcelain choppers might be construed by some as a 'beauty' enhancement, but the same could never be said for those silicone milk bags. I predict that carrying those babies around will compress your spine and cause you a world of hurt. You'll have no choice but to have those titty cushions removed, at which point they'll hang off your chest like used condoms.
Trunkin'... Fer sure! Give my regards to Burbank.
Our heroine, Kate was a newscasting lass,
Whose Mercedes Benz once ran out of gas.
"No problem," said she, while stroking one breast,
"I'll refine the oil in my chest."
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