Facing the fact that one’s teenaged child has been drinking and then getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is one of the hardest things a parent must do. Believe it or not, almost 70% of teens imbibe alcohol at least once a month. A number of them then drive, not realizing it may be the last thing they do. Teenagers drinking and driving can have disastrous result, including irrevocably changing an innocent person’s life by injuring them and killing an unsuspecting pedestrian. As a society, there must be a way to stop this risky behavior, and the following looks into some possible solutions to the problem.
Pittsfield, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/29/2012 -- In one year, a shocking 522 kids were arrested for drunken driving. Of those, 144 of them were aged 10-13. Teenage girls who drink then go driving are 40% more likely to be involved in a single-car accident than teenage boys, who have a 20% chance of it. Both genders have equal involvement in 22% of traffic fatalities related to alcohol. These statistics rise when including college students who drink and drive. 35% of college pupils aged 18-20 admit to binge drinking, and a significantly high number of these students become mixed up in physical or sexual assault while under the influence of alcohol.
College drinkers say they feel pressured by their peers to drink to the point of drunkenness, that if they don’t do it, they won’t fit in with their chosen group. Many college students are still teens and have not yet outgrown the “teenager invincibility” notion most adolescents develop. This is often why they drink too much and then drive; they just don’t think anything will happen. Unfortunately, they’re too often wrong.
Teenagers drinking and driving simply must be stopped. Not only are these children risking their own lives, but they’re taking the lives of others into their hands. So what can be done to curb this behavior? Well, parents must talk to their children about how drinking alcohol and driving a vehicle after doing so affect people’s lives. Begin these discussions when a child is as young as 6 or 7 years old, and reiterate it often as he gets older. Enforce the truth that real friends would not encourage anyone to drink too much then drive. If the child’s peer group does this, they are not his friends, and he should realize that and try to find another group to hang out with. Be honest about one’s own experiences with alcohol and driving. Lead by example and be the designated driver for an evening out with friends.
About Legal-Yogi
http://www.Legal-yogi.com, an online purveyor of all things legal in most states, is located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and has much more information about teenage drinking and driving, and is always available to share it.