Safety
#1 Teen Myth Regarding Safety: It won't happen to me!
Issues of personal safety are different for teens. Remember when you yelled at your mom and dad to put on their seatbelts when you were 5, but now, at 15, you "forget"? Seatbelts continue to be important and should be worn every time you get into a car, but now you are also faced with recognizing the importance of a driver who is not impaired by drugs or alcohol. If you or your friends are riding with a teenage driver, do your part to be a good passenger who doesn't distract the driver. Never ride with someone who has been drinking or taking drugs.
As sports become more competitive your personal safety becomes more important. Make sure you wear the proper athletic equipment for your sport and that it fits you appropriately. Always wear protective gear and follow the rules of play to keep your sport safe. While this may be obvious for things like football, make sure you follow safety rules in all situations. Remember bicycle helmet use is not just a good idea, in many places it is the law.
Avoid behaviors that are harmful to your health such as tobacco, drug and alcohol use. The best thing is to stay away or remove yourself from situations where this is happening. As a general rule, if you are someplace where something is happening that you are uncomfortable with, it is okay to say, "this is not for me", and leave.
As you are in more situations without a parent or adult right there with you, this is the time to become more attentive to the external world. Think about your personal safety by avoiding walking or riding your bike alone at night or in sparsely populated areas. Think about parking in well lit areas of parking lots or garages. Carry a whistle and pocket size flashlight on your keychain. Think ahead about your game plan on how to get help if you have car trouble or are stranded somewhere.
Piercing and tattoos that seem like a good idea at the time can create more trouble for you later. In addition to having something on your body that you may decide you don't really want but is permanent or at the least, very difficult to get rid of, both piercing and tattoos carry risk of diseases like Hepatitis, serious infection, and permanent scarring.
