Teenage Drunk Driving
From LoveToKnow Teens
Teenage drunk driving is an issue that is present in the minds of parents, law enforcement, and other concerned citizens.
The Issues
While the ultimate nightmare that surrounds an incidence of teenage drunk driving is the death of a young person, teens who drink and drive face many other serious issues as well. When teens drink and drive, they put themselves and others in jeopardy. They also risk being hit with stiff fines and/or the possible loss of their driver's license. They may find themselves forced into an alcohol treatment facility, and they may be required to spend many hours doing community service. One of the most serious consequences of drunk driving, outside of injury or death to themselves or others, is the possibility of serving jail or prison time.
The Statistics
The statistics speak volumes about what is going on with today's young people. The following statistics are from a study conducted in 2005 by Students Against Drunk Driving or SADD:
- Approximately 10.8 million people in one month, ages 12 to 20, reported drinking alcohol. Of this amount, 2.3 million were considered heavy drinkers, while 7.2 million were classified as binge drinkers.
- By the time they have finished high school, three out of every four students have consumed alcohol. "Consumed" implies that more than just a few sips of alcohol were ingested.
- The number one cause of death among young people ages 15 to 20 is motor vehicle crashes.
- Of those 15 to 20 year old drivers who were killed in a vehicular accident, 28 percent had been drinking.
- During one 30 day period, 28.5 percent of high school students had ridden at least once in a vehicle that was driven by someone who had ingested alcohol.
- Even more staggering is the fact that 38 percent of fatal crashes, regardless of age, involved drinking and driving.
- Weekend alcohol-related fatal crashes made up approximately 52 percent of all crashes, while weekday fatal crashes due to alcohol were 30 percent.
- Other safety issues are connected to drinking and driving. Of those young people who died in an alcohol related vehicular accident, 74 percent were not wearing a seat belt.
How to Stop Teenage Drunk Driving
What can be done to stop teenage drunk driving? You can make a difference, whether you are a parent, educator, concerned citizen, relative, friend, or a teenager.
- If you have a story to tell, share it with others.
- Visit the Mothers Against Drunk Driving or MADD website. Sign up for the newsletter, and sign the Pledge to Eliminate Drunk Driving.
- Volunteer in your community to create alcohol-free activities for teens, including school sponsored dances, prom parties, etc.
- Get involved in your community. Display posters, start petitions to boycott local supermarkets and liquor stores who sell to minors, and voice your concerns to your local government.
- If you are a parent of a teenager, download a copy of SADD's Contract for Life, and ask your teen to sign it.
- Pass out copies of The Drunk Driving Poem to every teen you encounter, and ask him or her to read it immediately.
Finally, keep talking to your teen. It is vitally important that you keep lines of communication open. Don't just talk to your teen about drinking and driving, but also warn him or her against getting in the car with someone else who has been drinking alcohol or doing drugs. This must be an ongoing discussion; you can't address this problem once and think everything will be okay for your teenager.
Teens encounter extreme peer pressure on a daily basis. Role play with your teen on how he or she will respond when confronted with this issue. Let your child know that you are there no matter what. You never know whose life you might be saving…including that of your child!
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This page has been accessed 985 times. This page was last modified 20:03, 14 April 2009.
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