Many parents decide the best thing to do is host the party and provide the alcohol, that way the kids are under their watch and supervision. Although they think they can keep the kids safe, and off the road, they still choose to drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2001, 2,950 children under the age of 21 died in alcohol related accidents, 1,012 died during the months of April, May and June, which are all around the time of graduation and prom.

According to Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), car accidents are the leading cause of fatalities among teenagers. Approximately 36 percent of accidents were alcohol related when the driver was between the ages of 15-21. Teenagers who are also distracted when they drive, are growing in death related accidents.

Not only are their huge risks with drinking and driving, but underage drinking also comes with many more risks. It can also hinder brain development. According to a study done by the National Institutes of Health, underage drinking has been shown to inhibit judgment, which can lead to dangerous behavior. Physical, emotional and sexual violence also increases when teens drink alcohol.

SADD has been trying to make teens more aware of the affects of drinking and driving. In doing so, they have come up with a few ways for teens to be safe during graduation and prom seasons, and how parents can help keep their kids safe. Some tips include parent and teen communication regularly about drugs and alcohol, discussing expectations with your children about their outings, parents should get involved with supervision of special events, hotel rooms should not be rented for teenagers, parents should stay awake until their teen gets home and parents should never provide drugs or alcohol to teenagers and their friends.

It is important to remain focused on the fight against underage drinking, especially during prom season and graduation. If an open relationship is kept between the parent and teenager, it is shown to have made a difference in preventing drunk driving. People who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become dependent on alcohol, than those who wait until age 21. Take the time to make sure your teenager is safe; don’t be another statistic.

Through Sheriffs Telling Our Parents and Promoting Educated Drivers, families can register their cars with the sheriff’s department, who will supply red windshield decals to alert officers to contact the parents of young drivers whenever they are stopped by law enforcement officials.

“We hope it will be a deterrent because if a parent signs up for this program, they really are being very proactive,” DeMarco said at a news conference. “This gives the parent a tool to monitor them, and you would hope that the child knows that if they’re stopped that the parent will find out.”

Newsday.com reports that if an officer stops a marked car whose driver is younger than 21, the officer will report the details of the stop, including the number of people in the vehicle, the reason for the stop, and whether any tickets were issued. The officer will then send a notification through a phone call, letter, or e-mail to parents.

DeMarco said he would ask other law enforcement agencies on Long Island and in other states to honor the decal program. He said he is trying to make a dent in statistics that show that in 2007, 6 percent of licensed Suffolk drivers were between the ages of 16 and 20, and 14 percent of them were involved in accidents with injuries or fatalities.

“This will inform parents about risky behaviors,” Cohen said. “We need to let our parents know what their kids are doing on the roads.”

Beedenbender said the program has potential to save lives. “If you’re not going to drive appropriately and you’re not going to drive responsibly, you’re not going to drive at all,” he said. “Anything we can do to prevent more of our young people from passing away on the roads because they’re making poor decisions is certainly a great step forward.”