Given their age and youthful nature, teenagers will express great enthusiasm when receiving their newfound freedom of getting their driver’s license and being able to drive on their own. However this newfound freedom, along with inexperience, in addition to the startling statistics of teenagers drinking and driving is a scary combination. Teens who have been drinking, usually lack good judgment, and the feeling of responsibilities and consequences of drinking and driving.
Teenage Driving In the US
In a recent survey conducted by the CDC, teenagers account for nearly fifty percent of binge drinking (drinking more than five drinks during one sitting). According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 6.4 percent out of 194.3 million drivers licensed in the United States fell in between the ages 16 to 20. Though these teen drivers represent a small percentage of the total American drivers, teenage drivers is said to cause a disproportionately high percent of roadway accidents.
Teenage Drinking and Driving – Some alarming statistics
- The leading cause of death for those ages 15-20 is a car accident.
- According to the CDC 4,767 teenagers died from fatal car crash injuries in 2004.
- According to the National Traffic Safety Administration and the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 31% of all 15 to 20 year olds had been drinking when killed in a car accident, and 25% of them were alcohol impaired.
- Teenage drivers are four times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle collision than their older more experienced driving counterparts, notes the CDC.
- Teen drivers are responsible for twelve percent of all road-related fatalities.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports twenty-three percent of teenage drivers in fatal car crashes possessed a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) level above the legal limit of .08 on the breathalyzer test.
- According to a 2002 CDC report that, the econosmic cost of automobile accidents involving teenagers is a staggering forty billion dollars or more annually.
Drunk Driving Laws and Penalties for Teens:
The fact is, driving is a privilege. Though there are DUI laws in place, they are still being ignored. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal and when you get caught your life will be turned up-side-down. Here are a few things that could happen:
- Increase in auto insurance rates or even denial of insurance coverage.
- Seizure of motor vehicle
- The loss or suspension of driver’s license
- Limited job opportunities
- Jail time
- Hefty fines
- Community service
- Probation, DUI programs
Alcohol abuse in teens is a serious problem in the US. Underage drinking and being illegally intoxicated can be life altering for not only themselves, but all innocent bystanders on the road as well. These statistics are real; don’t try so hard to be just another statistic!