Teenage Drunk Driving

Teenage drunk driving has become a problem with today’s youth. Given the teenagers youthful nature it is normal for them to be enthused when receiving the freedom a driver’s license provides. No one is ever pressured to drink and drive, but as you will see by the statistics that it happens all too often.
Today’s society is very different from what it was twenty years ago. It is now a society that puts a tremendous amount of pressure on its adolescents to perform up to society’s standards. Peer pressure has teens making difficult decisions every day. But by providing them with educational information about teenage drunk driving it will hopefully give them the necessary tools to reach adulthood safely and without a criminal record.

The statistics on teenage drunk driving are frightening. Studies are done each year to show people how serious teenage drunk driving has become. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of deaths between youths aged 15 to 20.
Below are a few other alarming statistics.

• One out of ten children ages 12 and 13 consume alcohol at least once a month.
• An alarming 70 percent of teenagers drink alcohol.
• 60 percent of teen deaths in vehicle crashes are alcohol related.
• Some estimate that close to 3 million teenagers are addicted to alcohol.

These 12 and 13 year olds who are consuming alcohol once a month will soon have their driver’s license and have the freedom to be with their friends more, which will most likely lead to more frequent drinking. The combination of alcohol, impaired vision, friends, a loud car stereo, and a fast car, you have the potential for disaster.

Legislators and law enforcement have increased their efforts to reduce teenage drunk driving in many ways. Sobriety checkpoints are done on a more frequent basis, some states have implemented curfews for those between certain ages, alcohol awareness programs such as MADD have come out in full force to make people aware of the problem, and transportation education films have been produced to help inform the public of this dangerous problem.

While the above efforts are all a good idea, they are not enough to eradicate teenage drunk driving. Constant vigilance and being a positive role model are two of the most important and powerful tools a parent can use to teach their kids and keep them on a positive path and not ending up on the six o’clock news.