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the wheel: Law enforcement officers tell the students what they are seeing from younger drivers, and insurance agents come and explain how much it costs parents to insure their kids.
• "In the classroom I use the analogy that driving a car is a lot like handling a loaded weapon," Case explained. "The operator (driver) learns this can be a potentially fatal situation. A lot of bad things can happen if you don't pay attention."
• Storley, secondary principal from Britton-Hecla, said he takes students to an annual Think, Drive, Stay Alive presentation with a focus on the consequences of drinking and driving that makes a significant impression on students. The speakers are parents who have lost children in an accident, and also kids who have been in an accident.
• "It looked like the kids took it very seriously, and when stories are being told you can literally hear a pin drop," Storley said. "It's very sobering to hear ordinary people talk about how, after not making the right choices, their lives have changed forever in the blink of an eye.
• "It's also not just their lives," added Storley. "Those accidents also have far-reaching effects for innocent people involved in the crash that weren't drinking and driving as well as family, friends and really the whole community."
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• Effective parenting strategies
• But if the new research shows that having good information isn't enough by itself to keep kids from making decisions that cause harm, what more should parents and other authorities do?
• The most important, according to Steinberg, is to keep teenagers--especially younger teenagers (ages 13-15)--out of risky situations altogether. This is a lot easier than trying to get the emotion-control part of a teenage brain to mature faster than it is biologically programmed to develop, Steinberg advises.
• These changes could also be pursued on a societal level. Higher prices as well as more required training for sellers can make it more difficult for teens to get alcohol and tobacco. Increasing the driving age is another strategy, and one that is supported by both driving instructors from Webster. "I believe 14 is a pretty young age for this type of responsibility, especially when you put cell phones into the mix. I wouldn't mind at all if the age limit went up to 15 years old," Case said.
• Parents should also recognize that the teenage brain is designed to seek thrills and encourage some thrills that don't have negative long-term consequences, such as playing a sport, dancing or going to an amusement park. This is especially important around the time of prom and even graduation, when students will create their

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