We’d like to think that our children are immune to the mistakes that many make. After all, we raised them. But, sometimes they don’t live up to that expectation. While we can forgive a lot as parents, one no-go point is that of young drunk drivers. It’s reckless, illegal, and can result in serious bodily harm. You might not think it’s very common. But, according to statistic, younger people are more likely to drink and drive than older people are…
Young Drunk Drivers: What the Stats Say…
Younger people, between 21-24 years old, make up the majority of the statistic on fatal car crashes involving drunk drivers. Furthermore, studies show that these accidents usually involve male drivers. But why is this?
What is it about the age group that makes them much more prone to mistakes?
There may be several reasons as to why younger people are more likely to end up in fatal drunk driving accidents. On one hand, it could be due to the fact that they’re new to the world of legal alcohol. At age 21, you’re beginning to drink legally and test your limits. Because of this, it can be easy to desensitize yourself to the effects at hand. It takes time to understand the responsibility that comes with being able to drink. Drinking safety often falls to the wayside there at the beginning. However, with time and experience, we begin to see the damage that alcohol can cause if you don’t use it properly.
Another possible reason may be that the younger person does not understand the risk. They may not take into consider what a DWI will cost them in legal fees or how it may harm future goals. Furthermore, they may not calculate how many lives they are putting in danger, including their own. As you progress into your twenties, you will likely meet a person or two who has a DUI. Through their experience, you’ll begin to get an idea of those associated costs and it becomes quite unappealing to subject yourself to this.
How do we prevent it?
Services such as Uber and Lyft have made it much more accessible for younger people to skip drinking and driving. By making these things so user friendly and putting it onto your devices, you’re more likely to use them. Encourage planning ahead of the evening. Ultimately, the best way to prevent young drunk drivers is to plan ahead of time. Do you plan on getting too drunk to drive? Call an Uber both ways, invite friends to split it with you and save some money. By splitting the Uber, you’re able to lower the cost and keep more of your friends from making bad decisions as well.
