Police
Crime Prevention Tips - Teen Drunk Driving
The number one killer of teenagers is drunk driving. More than 3,500 teens are killed and another 85,000 are injured each year in car crashes involving alcohol. Not all have been drinking; some are passengers or innocent targets of people who drink and drive. Someone in the United States is killed in an alcohol-related traffic accident every 23 minutes. That someone could be your best friend. It could be you.
Some Facts About Alcohol
A can of beer or a glass of wine or wine cooler is just as intoxicating as a shot of liquor. Most state laws define "drunk" as having a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.10%. But people react to alcohol differently, depending on how recently they have eaten, their metabolism, how tired they are, the medication they take, their emotional state, and their weight.
Because of these differences, no one can predict a "safe" number of drinks. The bottom line is that alcohol is a depressant. Even small amounts slow your physical reactions and thought processes.
Alcohol and Other Drugs
Combining alcohol and other drugs, even other-the-counter ones, multiplies the dangerous effects of both. Never mix alcohol with any drug, even cold tablets, cough syrups, or medicine prescribed by your doctor.
Drunk Driving and the Law
Drunk driving is against the law in all states. If you are arrested as DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) or DUI (Driving Under the Influence), you can lose your license, be fined, or go to prison. Don't expect to get off just because you are under 18. Most courts today can try 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in cases where death or severe injury has occurred. If you cause an accident while driving (and the chances are much higher if you've been drinking), your insurance company can increase your rates or cancel your policy. If you are under 21, it's illegal for you to purchase alcohol or a drink -- anyplace!
Is it worth taking the chance?
No one wants to live with the fact that he or she caused an accident, injured someone, or took a life. If you drink and drive, you are taking that gamble. Don't let your friends take that risk either. If people have been drinking, try to stop them from driving -- arrange a ride, call a cab or a friend, or see that they stay put. If these actions don't work, don't ride with them.
How much do you know about Drinking and Driving?
True or False?
- If a person concentrates hard enough, he or she can overcome any effect that drinking has on driving.
- If you have been drinking at a party, coffee will sober you up quickly before you leave.
- If you drive home from a party late at night when the roads are deserted, there's not much danger in driving after drinking.
- It's okay for a person who has been drinking to drive, as long as he or she doesn't act drunk.
- A drink or two helps people drive better because it relaxes them.
If you answered "true" to any of these questions, you are only fooling yourself. All these statements are false. Be smart. Don't drink and drive!
Illegal drugs and driving
Alcohol is a drug. It is the most widely abused drug in our nation. A number of drugs that are illegal for everyone, such as marijuana and cocaine, severely impair a driver's skills. Don't use illegal drugs; don't ride with a driver who has used them.
Teens can help each other
Be smarter and safer by organizing buses, carpools, or limousines for prom nights and other school parties.
If you are out with a group of friends, be sure to have a designated driver, someone who pledges not to drink at all. If you or someone else makes one mistake -- illegal drinking, don't compound it with a second mistake -- driving under the influence.
Get parents to sign pledges that they will not serve beer or alcohol to teens in their homes.
Ask a student who has been involved in an alcohol-related accident to speak to your club or even a school assembly about its consequences.
Suggest that parents and teachers run a hotline on prom night. If students have trouble getting to or from the dance or are riding with someone who's been drinking, they can call for a safe ride with no questions asked.
When you're old enough to buy beer, wine and liquor, don't buy it for younger people. You're not doing them any favors. It's illegal, and you could get a criminal record.
What is being done?
Many groups like SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) have organized to fight drunk driving. They lobby Congress and state legislatures for stiffer penalties for drunk drivers and organize alcohol- and drug-free prom and graduation parties. They also operate hotlines to help teens and young adults who think they may have a drinking problem.
Many schools, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, have started programs to make students aware of the dangers of drunk driving. They often get the message across with slides showing accidents and with speakers who have been hurt in drunk driving accidents. Some schools have programs that allow any student who feels he or she shouldn't be driving call for a ride, with no questions asked.
These local and national efforts have played significant roles in raising teens' awareness of the drunk driving issue and in decreasing the number of traffic accidents involving teenagers.
Success saves lives
The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that tens of thousands of lives were saved in the 1980s by preventing drunk driving accidents. It happened because local groups like chapters of SADD and MADD were educating teens about drunk driving. It also happened because of heightened public awareness, citizen action, and stricter laws in almost all states, including raising the drinking age to 21, which resulted in saving 10,000 lives.
Although the picture is brighter than in the '80s, these is much more to be done.
