"Car crashes are the leading killer of teenagers: How can we keep our kids safe behind the wheel?
As everyone knows, our children are our number one priority in life. We also know that when our children turn 16, they are going to be ready to go out driving on their own, or will they? What our children probably don't know is that car crashes are the leading cause of deaths, even greater than cancer and all other diseases combined, among teenagers in the United States. I feel that adults are going to have to sit down with their children, preferably at a young age because studies show that people soak in information and remember it better if told while they are young, and talk about drunk driving and their responsibilities behind the wheel. The amount of teenage deaths caused by car wrecks must decrease, and we, the parents, are going to have to step up and make it happen.
In 1991, Jason was racing friends and driving drunk. They all thought they were having a good time, but that changed in a split second when Jason caused a crash that killed his 15-year-old brother, Aaron. Jason was convicted of vehicular manslaughter for the death of his little brother, and sent to state prison on a six-year sentence. He was released in 1995 after serving three and half years. This story is just one of many that ended tragically.
As we approach the 21st century, the United States is seeing more and more households where both parents work. This has its advantages and disadvantages. Yes, it provides a greater income and will most likely provide necessary essentials for the family to live financially secure. Now, on the downside, the children don't get the attention that they need growing up. Whether it is being placed in a day care or just being left home alone because both of your parents are out working, this is going to affect your child. Every child needs their parents to go to for support and if they aren't there, they will find the support in another way. Most of the time, the people they decide to seek support from are not good people. Children need the support of their parents and need to learn from their parent's teachings. Everyone is working to make a living, but as they are working they may not realize that their children are crying inside.
There are many facts about drunk driving that should be given to children in some manner. In 1992, a young American died every three hours in an alcohol-related highway crash, which is about eight children or adolescents each day. In 1994, there were 412 alcohol-related criminal cases involving 16-20 year olds, an average of eight cases per week. A moving fact, in my opinion, is that 5,000 teenagers of driving age die in motor vehicle crashes each year, making the car the #1 killer of teenagers.
Why is the number of teenage traffic deaths so high? First off, teenagers are inexperienced at both drinking and driving, so small amounts of alcohol can have tragic effects. For example, teenage drivers with blood alcohol concentrations of 0.05-0.10 percent are far more likely than sober teen drivers to be killed in single-vehicle crashes. Furthermore, more than 30 percent of all fatally injured teenage drivers have a blood alcohol concentration above 0.10, the legal limit in most states. Adding to this, about half of all fatal motor vehicle crashes involving teens occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. , especially on weekends. Male drivers 16-19 years old are involved in about four times as many nighttime fatal crashes as men 30-54 years old. This leads one to wonder if teenage males are out partying a little too much.
Many states are coming up with stricter penalties for teenage drunk drivers. For example, Governor Frank Keating signed SB 1230, which increases penalties for underage drunk drivers. It's important for teenagers to know the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This bill sends a strong message that this behavior will not be tolerated and those who drive drunk will face heavy fines, community service and the cancellation of driving privileges. Nothing can hurt a teenager more than losing his/her license. I congratulate Senators Cole and Brown and Representatives Cotner, Boyd, Roberts and Adair for their work on this bill," the Governor said (Governor Keating signs SB 1230, stiffens penalties for teenage drunk drivers).
The contents of the bill were that upon a teenager's first offense, a fine of $100-$500 or 20 hours of community service or a mandatory treatment program or a combination of all three will be accessed. Upon a second offense and subsequent offenses, a $100-$1000 fine or 40 hours of community service or a mandatory treatment program or a combination of all three will be accessed. In addition to penalties, the person may be subject to cancellation of driving privileges and/or revocation of their license.
In addition to states coming up with drunk driving bills and proposals, the president of the United States has one of his own. The Clinton administration supports legislation that would withhold highway money from states that do not adopt a blood-alcohol concentration cutoff of 0.08 percent. This level is currently the standard in 16 states. "If all states lower their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) to.08," President Clinton has said, "it will result in 600 fewer alcohol-related deaths each year" (Sullum).
About 90 percent of high school students have tried alcohol, and approximately 60 percent of both high school and college students drink regularly. Forty percent of college students regularly "binge-drink," which is defined as consuming five or more drinks consecutively. Four percent of students drink every day. These numbers are alarming and need to be lowered substantially or more and more teens will become victims of a drunk driving tragedy. There are numerous agencies that children can attend in order to help them with their addiction. Remember children, the legal age to drink alcoholic beverages is 21 so all of you who are under that age are breaking the law.
Robert Anastas created S.A.D.D (Students Against Driving Drunk) because of the fact that two of his hockey players died in separate accidents that were caused by drunk driving. The major emphasis of the group is to reduce or eliminate deaths caused by alcohol related injuries. People from the S.A.D.D. groups volunteer to go around to schools and other gatherings and they inform people how dangerous it is to drink and drive. Another program, Safe Homes, asks parents to sign a pledge that they will not allow alcohol or illegal drugs to be consumed by young people in their homes, and that they will not allow unsupervised parties or other gatherings. Safe homes cuts down on illegal driving after drinking. Another very popular program is M.A.D.D (Mothers against drunk driving), which is a group of mothers who do what they can in order to prevent drunken driving fatalities.
How can we reduce the number of teenage traffic deaths? First off, parents need to be good role models because a teenager's driving habits are developed long before he or she sits behind the wheel. Choosing safe cars is important for young drivers. Larger cars are generally more safe than small cars. Safety features, such as reinforced doors and air bags make sense, too. Practicing with your young driver is important as well. Give them plenty of supervised time behind the wheel during the learning process, even after they get their license. First time drivers seem to get daring behind the wheel because their parents aren't alongside them. In addition to these, discourage nighttime driving. Most teenage driving deaths occur in the night hours so keep your teen off of the streets at night. Most importantly, enforce no-drinking-and-driving rules. Parents should make an agreement with their teen to call home for a ride if a drunk-driving situation develops. In return, you promise to give your child a safe ride home with no questions asked. The punishment is up to the parents, but do provide a safe ride home to your child. Most likely, the child won't put himself or herself in a drunk-driving situation ever again.
Nobody likes to see anyone killed in a car crash, let alone an innocent child. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to get the point across to children about the impact that alcohol can have on one's body and how you can't function normally after numerous drinks. Parents need to address their children early and often of the harsh reality of driving after drinking. Showing pictures of previous car crashes that were caused by alcohol could do this. Most children seem to be visual learners and a picture of a mutilated car would be quite the teaching tool. In addition to what parents can teach, there are the numerous agencies and groups that can further emphasize the importance of not getting behind the wheel unless completely sober.
