Accidents Caused by Underage Drinking Increase with Prom Season
Don’t Drink and Drive – Keys and Champagne in Holiday Abstract Background.
Prom season for many high schools in the Atlanta area is both exciting and dangerous. Due to the instance of underage drinking and driving on prom night, parents worry about the safety of their children, and rightfully so. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) states that auto accidents are the leading cause of death for young drivers and teens, and a quarter of those are accidents caused by underage drinking.
While it is a scary statistic, it is possible for prom to be both fun and safe. We provide tips on encouraging safe prom practices in teens below, as well as what to do when a teen drinks, drives, and causes an accident.
Preventing Auto Accidents Caused by Underage Drinking
The fundamental part of preventing underage drinking and driving is making sure teens are informed of the dangers and risks. The best way to do this is not with lecturing, but instead a productive conversation about the importance of abstaining from underage drinking and driving. Some great facts to bring up to your teen, verified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are:
- Drinking is responsible for more than 4,300 deaths of teens under the age of 21 each year.
- 2010 saw close to 200,000 emergency room visits related to underage drinking.
- Underage drinkers are more likely to experience serious illness or death due to alcohol poisoning.
- On average, 22% of teens have ridden with someone under the influence of alcohol in the last month.
Letting teens know the risks of drinking and driving can help them understand why it is not worth it to get behind the wheel after drinking. Many teens know underage drinking is illegal and dangerous, and while it may still occur behind closed doors, this conversation helps them to make the right decision when it comes to driving.
It is also important to let teens know that if they make the wrong choice by drinking, they have to take steps to protect themselves. This not only means avoiding driving, but it also avoiding getting into a car when someone else has been drinking. Services such as Uber and Lyft are also a good way to ensure that your teen refrains from getting behind the wheel if he or she has been drinking. You may also want to give your teen permission to call you for a ride – any time, anywhere. The choice they make could prove to be life saving.
When Underage Drinking Causes an Accident
Despite a parent’s best efforts to caution their teen against drinking and driving, accidents do happen. Your teen may not even have been the driver, but a passenger with a drunk driver or even in another car involved in an accident. These accidents can involve serious injuries, or in the worst situations, death. It is terrifying to think about, but parents should be prepared.
Make sure your teen knows who to contact in case of an emergency, including emergency responder numbers. Ask them to let you know before they leave prom and who they leave with, and in the case of an accident, make sure you have an experienced auto accident and injury attorney for representation.
Auto Accident Representation in Atlanta, Georgia
Cash, Krugler & Fredericks LLC works diligently to provide committed representation for victims and families who have endured serious injury or death as a result of others. We pride ourselves on our personal attention and our reputation as a low-volume firm who puts their entire focus on our clients.
If you need tailored representation for accidents caused by underage drinking, or any injury or death case, please contact us online, email us at info@ckandf.com, or give us a call at 404-659-1710. We dedicate our time to bringing you justice and peace-of-mind.
