U.S. federal health officials on Tuesday 03 October, 2012 announced that the rate of teens drinking while driving has reduced over half in last two decades. Drinking and driving has proven fatal to many teens, generating stress among the parents. But this news by health officials has relaxed parents who are parenting teens or those who are nearing teenage.
According to the study of new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of 2011, around 10.3% of 16 and older of high school students were found drinking and driving which was reduced from 22.3% in 1991. The percent declined by 54% which was due to the laws imposed on drunken driving and restriction on teens' driving like limited driving hours at night. Also the report stated that there were around 11.7% male teens that drank and drove as compared to female teens which contributed to around 8.8%. African-American students reflected less percent of drinking and driving as compared to Hispanic and White students. The percent of 16-year-olds who drank and drove was 7.2% while it increased to 11.5% among the 17-year-olds.
Road accidents have been the major reason among teen deaths and therefore, there were some restrictions imposed on the teen driving. A survey points out that around 2,000 teens aged between 16 to 19 years are killed each year, out of which many are related to alcohol consumption. According to the survey done by Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Director of CDC, in 2011 millions of high school students were found among those who drank and drove. Also, the report reflected that those who admitted drinking and driving were again caught in the binge drinking.
There were some factors which led to decrease in teens drinking and driving rate like zero tolerance laws which made it illegal for teens to drink and drive, drinking age limit was raised to 21 years in entire country and increase in graduated driver's licensing programs which restricted getting full driving privileges to new drivers.
Parents have been finding it difficult to deal with the teens and control them in recent years. Teens require freedom in their age and parents are always posing restrictions on them to protect them from the mishaps. But to deal with the stress of parents, teens find drinking as the best way leading to mishaps. Parents can give teens the lessons of safe driving by taking the efforts of getting involved in their life or they can even use the tools like parent-teen driving agreement including some restrictions while driving. They should also create awareness among teens about the hazards of driving into a vehicle with their friends who drink and drive.
The reduction in drinking and driving of teens has relieved many parents in US. But still it is important to see whether it reduces nearly to zero which will decline the fatality rate of teens due to vehicle crashes. Parents should make teens aware about the hazards of drinking and driving which will help protect them from the vehicle crashes.