Miss Southwestern's Outstanding Teen 2016

"Arrive ALIVE - Don't Drink and Drive"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“1 in 10 Teens in High School Drinks and Drive"

 

"Arrive Alive – Don't Drink and Drive!"

 

Underage drinking affects millions of families every year and is a National concern. That's why it's important to discuss the dangers of teen drinking, peer pressure, and driving or riding with an intoxicated person. 

Nearly 11 million underage people consume alcohol in the United States alone.

 

 

Underage Drinking Statistics and Facts:

 

• Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and about a quarter of those crashes involve an underage drinking driver

• Kids who start drinking young are 7 times more liekly to be in an alcohol-related crash

• 4,300 deaths annually are caused by underage drinking.

• People aged 12 to 20 years old drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in U.S.

• In 2010, there were 189,000 emergency room visits for injuries related to underage drinking.

 

 

Preventing Teen Drinking and Driving: What Works

 

• Minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws in every state make it illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under age 21. Research has shown that enforcement of MLDA laws using alcohol retailer compliance checks has reduced retail sales of alcohol to those under the legal drinking age.

• Zero tolerance laws in every state make it illegal for those under age 21 to drive after drinking any alcohol. Research has demonstrated that these laws have reduced drinking and driving crashes involving teens.

• Graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems help new drivers get more experience under less risky conditions. As teens move through stages, they gain privileges, such as driving at night or driving with passengers. Every state has GDL, but the specific rules vary. Research indicates that GDL systems prevent crashes and save lives.

• Parental involvement, with a focus on monitoring and restricting what new drivers are allowed to do, helps keep new drivers safe as they learn to drive. Parents can consider creating and signing a parent-teen driving agreement with their teens. Research has shown that when parents establish and enforce the “rules of the road”, new drivers report lower rates of risky driving, traffic violations, and crashes.

 

Teens can:

• Choose to never drink and drive.

• Refuse to ride in a car with a teen driver who has been drinking.

• Know and follow their state’s GDL laws.

• Follow "rules of the road" in their parent-teen driving agreement.

• Wear a seat belt on every trip, no matter how short.

• Obey speed limits.

• Never use a cell phone or text while driving.

 

Parents can

• Understand that most teens who drink do so to get drunk.

• Recognize the dangers of teen drinking and driving and that teen drivers are at much greater risk of crashing after drinking alcohol than adult drivers.

• Provide teens with a safe way to get home (such as picking them up or paying for a cab) if their driver has been drinking.

• Model safe driving behavior.

 

The Penalties

 

Typically:

• Driver’s license suspended for one year or more

• Judges also have the power to order the driver’s car impounded

• Fines that may range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on state law and the facts specific to the case

• Attend drug/alcohol and driver’s education classes

• A month or more of community service. Sometimes the community service is in lieu of paying a fine, sometimes it is in combination with the fine

• Possibility of jail time, again depending on state law and the facts specific to the case. For a first offense, jail time may range from 24 hours to a year

• Subject to a probationary period of three to five years

 

The Effect on Career and Education

 

• Disclosure of the resulting conviction (DUI) may be required on college applications, job applications, or for requests for some types of financial aid. The failure to report this information can result in the loss of rights, loss of financial aid, or even charges of perjury, if later discovered

 

 

What constitutes driving under the influence?

 

If a chemical test determines that a driver under 21 has a blood alcohol content BAC of .02% or higher, the driver can be cited for driving under the influence. (For those 21 or older, the BAC is .08%)

 

 

Information obtained from:

CDC

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Edgar Snyder and Associates, Law Firm