Getting a speeding ticket can be an expensive inconvenience, and as an adult, you likely realize that it is a consequence of a bad choice that you made. Hopefully you live and learn (and stop speeding!). However, for teenagers, it can seem like not much of a deterrent, especially if they are not paying for the ticket themselves. If you don't relish the idea of taking your teenager to see a speeding ticket attorney to fight a ticket, take these steps to deter your teen from speeding.
Step #1: Openly Track Your Teen's Speed While Driving
Although it can seem like an invasion of privacy, parents are now able to track their teen's speed even when they are not in the car with them. Rather than hide this fact, talk to your teenager about your plans to track their speed. Their belief that you will do so can be the strongest deterrent of all. Follow through and buy any one of several modern devices that allow you to place a tracker in the car, then receive updates via an app.
Step #2: Create a Debt Plan for Speeding
Let your teenager know that, for every mile they are going over the speed limit, they will owe that amount of money to you. It should be multiplied by every mile they drove while speeding, too. Therefore, if a teenager is going 70 miles per hour in a 40 miles-per-hour zone, and were doing so for ten miles, they will owe you $300. Set a rule that the debt must be paid back through their least favorite way of chore that is paid at minimum wage. Talk about paying a debt to society – and you!
Step #3: Host a Car Crash Film Marathon
Automobile accidents are not uncommon in feature films. As a part of life, they are reflected in the art of the times. Seeing car crash films can really drive home the dangers of speeding. Start the evening with some warning commercials from YouTube that show how dangerous speeding can be. After each film, discuss why speeding could result in a similar circumstance for your teenager.
Step #4: Combustion of Driving Privileges for Speeding
You should also have a zero-tolerance rule for speeding in your household. If a teenager feels that the worst consequences they may face for a speeding ticket is a lecture, they may not have much motivation to resist the ever-present temptation to speed on the open road. Set strict rules about what will happen if your teenager is caught speeding, and stick to them, even if it inconveniences the entire family.
Finally, keep in mind that speeding tickets are sometimes mistakenly given for a wide variety of reasons. If your teen receives a ticket, get to the bottom of its cause. If they deny speeding, take them to see a speeding ticket attorney at a firm like Campbell Law Group PLLC to see what their options are. You don't have to take an unearned speeding ticket lying down.
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