Teenagers Need Mandatory 8 Hour Online Alcohol Classes

Perhaps I am overly sensitive to the topic because I am the educational director for an online alcohol class, but the rate of teens drinking and driving is downright terrifying.

Do you have a teenage child? If so, you should be concerned about drinking and driving. How about this – if you are naïve enough to believe your teen is immune to the perils of drinking and driving ask yourself a pair of questions. First, did you ever drink and drive as a teenager? Did you know anyone who drank and drove in high school? I am certain the answer to at least one of those questions will be a definitive yes! As reported in www.losangelesduidefenseblog.com.

Here are some frightening statistics.

This one is not a huge surprise. In 2006, the rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes was 36% versus 9% or four times higher at night than during the day.

How surprising is this? In 2007, 64% of young drivers in passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were not wearing a seat belt. Obviously, drunken drivers are less likely to use restraints.

In 2008, an estimated 12.4% of persons ages 12 or older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once during the last 12 months.

In 2009, 16- to 20-year-old age drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher were involved in 19 percent of all fatal crashes.

In 2010, Statistics suggest that an underage male with BAC levels of 0.05 percent is 18 times more vulnerable to crash his vehicle than an underage male who hasn’t consumed alcohol. In underage females, this vulnerability increases to 54 times over her non-drinking counterpart.

In 2011, 10.3 percent of high school students 16 and older reported drinking and driving in the past 30 days.

You know from personal experience and knowledge that drinking and driving is hazardous. Please, I encourage all of you to take a good online alcohol class with your teenager. If you don’t have a teenager, take an online alcohol class yourself.