Teen DUI Cases

According to a study, teens who are exposed to drunk driving are more likely to drink and drive themselves. According to the Senior Investigator at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Maryland, Bruce Simons-Morton said that it’s just as risky for teenagers to drive while intoxicated as it is for them to ride with an intoxicated driver. Simons-Morton and his team studied data they collected from around 2,500 high-school students in the U.S. over a three-year period. The respondents were in grades 10 through 12. They discovered that teens who rode with intoxicated drivers, whether it was friends or parents over the three year period, were 127 times more likely to drink and drive. This was compared to those who did not ride with a drunk driver.

Related: Drunk Driving In Kentucky Takes Lives

How we can reduce DUIs?
Drinking rates may have gone down but DUI still remains an issue in our society. It’s a significant cause of car accidents among teenagers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 2,700 teens, ages 16-19, were killed in crashes and 280,000 were injured in 2010. Fortunately, there are a few ways we can help prevent drunk driving. One of which is to not drink and drive ourselves. Just like Simons-Morton’s said, teens and kids learn from their parents and friends. It may not seem that way, especially when they are teenagers, but it’s true. Family and friends have a big impact on kids’ behavior. With that said, parents and guardians need to set a good example. We need to enforce safe driving habits.

Another way we can prevent drunk driving is to teach our kids the dangers that are associated with drinking. Tell them about how alcohol impairs their judgement, reaction time and could cost them their life. It’s a serious topic. Hopefully it will encourage your teen to not drink and drive.

Related: AT&T’s ‘It Can Wait’ Campaign Discourages Texting and Driving

As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I want to emphasize how dangerous drunk driving is to everyone on the road. This goes for teens and adults. You may feel in control at the time, but it’s illegal to drive drunk. If a cop suspects that you’ve been drinking, they will pull you over. The consequences will be severe. Please don’t drink and drive or ride with someone who has been drinking.