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Underage Drunk Driving: A Looming Safety Problem in US Roads |
Article Submitted by: Mesriani Law Group
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
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Drunk driving is a serious problem in the US and has been attributed to 13 percent of traffic deaths every year, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The government agency also conducted another study which showed that 12 teenagers aged between 16 and 19 years old die every day from traffic-related accidents or about 4,300 every year. This means that teenagers accounted for 12 percent of traffic deaths in the country. In addition, underage drunk driving injures more than 400,000 people from the same age group. With this finding, experts believe that underage drunk driving is a serious road problem which must be addressed immediately. TEENAGERS PRONE TO CAR ACCIDENTS According to a government data, people aged between 16 to 19 years old are the most vulnerable age group in car accidents. In fact, they are four times more likely to crash than middle-aged drivers. In terms of traffic fatalities, male teenage drivers are one and a half times more likely to die in accident compared to their female counterparts. Safety experts believe that this gender disparity is attributed to the attitude of males who are perceived as riskier drivers compared to females. Meanwhile, CDC found that the presence of other teen passengers increases the chance of collision. According to its finding, the more teenage occupants, the higher the risk of crashes. The crash risk has also been found to be particularly high during the first year after teenagers receive their driver's license. UNSAFE DRIVING BEHAVIORS OF TEENS The US Department of Transportation (DOT) believes that young people are more vulnerable to accidents compared to adults because they tend to underestimate a dangerous situation. Teenagers are also more likely to over-speed than adult drivers. In a 2005 study conducted by the transportation department, 38 percent of drivers aged between 15 to 20 years old were over-speeding at the time of the accident while 24 percent of them were drunk. Apart from underage drinking and over-speeding, teens also have the lowest rate of seatbelt use among the other age groups. According to a government statistics, more than 10 percent of teenagers, mostly males, admitted they are not using seatbelts when driving. CALIFORNIA'S ZERO TOLERANCE LAW FOR TEENAGE DRIVERS In January 2009, the state passed a law that prohibits people under the age of 21 to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.01 percent and higher. The law is more lenient to adult drivers who must follow a BAC limit of 0.08 percent. There is also a state law that prohibits teenagers to carry any alcoholic beverage inside their cars, unless this is completely sealed and they are accompanied by their parents. If teenagers are caught carrying alcoholic beverages inside their vehicles, the court may fine them up to $1,000 or suspend their driving license for a year. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com |
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To help you deal with teen driving accidents, and other related cases, consult with our skilled personal injury lawyers. Visit our website and avail of our free case analysis.
To help you deal with teen driving accidents, and other related cases, consult with our skilled personal injury lawyers. Visit our website and avail of our free case analysis.
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