Teenage drinking and driving has become a big problem in America and alcohol is often the cause of many problems among teenagers. A large amount of teens die each year due to alcohol, and a larger amount get in trouble with the law while drinking and driving. Teens that drink and drive not only put themselves in danger; they put all of the other people on the roads in danger, and their entire future. The law states that anyone driving with a .08 percent is driving under the influence. However, anyone under the age of 21 who is driving with a .02 or higher is considered driving under the influence.
Teenage drivers are at a greater risk of death in an alcohol-related vehicle accident than any other people because of inexperience, invincible thinking, and impaired judgment caused by alcohol. Alcohol clouds parts of the brain that are crucial to decision making, decreases the ability to concentrate, and slows the reaction time behind the wheel.
What are reasons teens drive drunk? Driving drunk can be a way for some teens to boost their ego. Teens know that friends have driven drunk and everything has been fine, so why not. Some see it as they can’t say no. Teens are willing to risk their lives and get in the car with one who has been drinking rather than have to say the word “no.” What action this has is they are telling the driver that what is being done is acceptable. Teenage years are influenced by drama, hormones, peer pressure, poor decisions and most of all media. When TV shows show teens that drinking can entertain the night of course they want to do it, what it doesn’t show is what can really happen in the real world, people getting hurt.
It is an adult’s job to talk to kids and tell them to not drink and drive. There are always other solutions than getting behind the wheel after you have had a drink, or getting in the car with someone else who has had a drink like have a designated driver, someone who has not had any alcohol, call a cab, walk, call a friend or even call your parents. Most kids will think their parents will get upset about the situation and that may be, but at the end of the night that option is much better than a call because there has been an accident.
Ripon High School participated in the Every 15 Minutes program on March 23, 2017. This program is a two-day program which was originated in Canada and soon adopted in Washington. The first site of Every 15 Minutes program in California was in Chico in 1995. This two day program focuses on high school juniors and seniors, which challenges them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions and the impact their decisions have on family, friends, their community, and many others. This program brings together local agencies such as the California Highway Patrol, local law enforcement, hospitals, emergency medical responders and local businesses as well as loved ones. This two day program is very dramatic and emotional for all involved and reminds teenagers about the decisions they make and how many people it may affect.
On December 29, 2011, Desaleen James was heading home from a Maryland nightclub with her two friends, one drunk behind the wheel, when the speeding car lost control and crashed into a brick embankment. The driver and other passenger both died. James was buckled up in the front passenger seat and survived suffering a broken hip. James who recorded the entire incident shared her story saying, “Maybe I’m here to save somebody else.” A fun night of partying was ended abruptly with a mistake repeated by thousands each year. James said, “You never think that something like this is going to happen to you. It’s one in a million, like, and then boom. It hits you. And there you are that one in a million.”
There are many groups of people working very hard to end the problem of drunk driving. Two of these includes a group called M.A.D.D. (mothers against drunk driving) whose mission is to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking. Another group that involves kids is called S.A.D.D.(students against destructive decisions). Their mission is to empower young people to successfully confront the risks and pressures that challenge them throughout their daily lives.
