You could say that drunk driving is an American teenager killer.
Teenage drunk driving statistics show that 60% of teenage deaths in the whole U.S. is alcohol related. In addition, 40% of all car accidents in the country involve teens.
Drunk-driving statistics show that, car accidents are the leading cause of deaths for American teens aged 15-24. The study also shows that 74 % of those car accidents involve young drivers that are not wearing seatbelts.
Clearly, something has to be done to protect not only teenagers but everyone from these accidents.
Community
The community can play a big part in preventing drunk driving in
the streets. There are plenty of simple actions everyone can take to protect
teenagers from drunk-driving accidents.
Here are some basic tips that a community can pro-actively participate in:
Education.
The schools and the community must work hand in hand to educate
people about the consequences of drunk driving. Schools can invite resource
speakers including survivors of drunk driving accidents to talk to the students
to give them a first-hand account of what can happen if you drive a car under
the influence of alcohol.
Alcohol free Prom
The community must be active in their children’s lives.
A lot of drunken driving incidents happen during prom night because of a night
full of drinking. Help your children organize the after-party at one of the
homes and make sure that alcohol is not available for the guests.
Sign a contract with your child
Have an agreement with your children that
whenever they will need a ride home no matter the circumstance, you will pick
them up and not ask questions till a later time when he/she is more comfortable.
The last thing a teenager wants is someone breathing down their neck after a bad
experience. Not asking questions off the bat shows them that you respect their
silence. This can increase the trust your children and you have for each
other.
Write letters to liquor stores
Remind these establishments that they also
have a responsibility of not letting minors purchase alcohol from their stores.
Warn them that if they continue selling to minors, they will be reported to the
police and the community will not patronize their establishment.
Distribute brochures
Distribute information to different establishments
like stores, churches and schools about the consequences and how to prevent
drunk-driving accidents.
Drivers
Of course the drivers, teens or not, should also be responsible
for their driving behavior. If the state had deemed you fit to be licensed as a
driver then live up to the standard and know when you are able to drive or
not.
Here are some tips a teen driver can follow in regards to driving and drinking:
Alcohol treatment
Once you accept that you have a problem with alcohol
consumption, the next thing you can do is get treatment like medical management
and psycho-social support. After getting treatment, make sure you maintain a
healthy lifestyle and remain sober.
Designated drivers
Ask a friend who does not drink to drive you home or
call home to ask someone to pick you up if you know that you will be
drinking.
Leave the keys
If you know you will be drinking, leave the keys at home to
prevent any temptation to drive yourself after drinking.
Those are some ways to decrease the teen drunk-driving statistics in the country. The teen must be informed of his responsibilities as a driver and the community must help in educating not just the drivers but everyone that they can either help solve the problem or they can be part of the problem.