Let’s face it. When we were teenagers, we all thought we were invincible. We did some pretty stupid stuff that we can look back on and laugh about now. But 23% of teens do something really stupid that isn’t very laughable – they drive while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or prescription drugs (used illegally), according to a recently conducted survey. The survey included 1,708 teens in 11th and 12th grade and was conducted by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) who paired up with Liberty Mutual.
The survey uncovered some pretty disturbing results. 19% of the 1,708 teens (over 300 of them) believed that driving under the influence made them a better driver. Another 19% believed that it had no impact on their driving whatsoever. 34% of the surveyed believed that their driving was improved when they were under the influence of marijuana. And to think we thought it was common knowledge that drinking and using drugs actually impairs driving, oftentimes severely…
Additionally, kids who drank were less likely to buckle up. Not good news at all, especially considering that automobile crashes are the #1 cause of death for teenagers. Teens are still rookie drivers, and their behaviors behind the wheel should reflect that.
The best thing you can do, if you are a parent of a teen, is to let them know how dangerous and how fatal drunk driving is and can be. Summer months are approaching, which means more time for them to get into trouble. It cannot be denied that many high schoolers consume alcohol. But keep your teen safe, and encourage them to never drink and drive and never get in the car with a driver who has been drinking.