Even though alcohol-related driving deaths have decreased since the inception of the 2000 law making it illegal to drive with a BAC (blood alcohol level) of 0.08 percent or higher, alcohol is still involved in 37 percent of all traffic deaths, according to the National Institutes of Health. There are approximately 10,000 alcohol-related vehicle fatalities each year, and many injuries. 

WINK News reported in March 2018 that a sheriff picked up 16-year-old girl after being spotted staggering down the highway. He placed her in the back seat of the cruiser while he talked to her Mom, who informed him that she has been having a hard time with her daughter’s drinking habits. The teen then got out of the back seat, hopped into the driver’s seat, sped away with the police cruiser and crashed into two cars landing in a ditch on the side of the road. The teen was hospitalized with serious injuries. 

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) established April as Alcohol Awareness Month in 1987. The purpose was to educate individuals, families and communities on the “devastating effects and consequences of alcoholism. 2018’s theme is ‘Changing Attitudes- It’s not a rite of passage’. We often forgive underage drinking as a ‘rite of passage’. We can simply sit back and hope kids will ‘get through it’, or we can change our attitude and take an active role in learning about alcohol and drugs and help young people do the same.” 

The NCADD reports the following: 

• More than 1.6 million young people report driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year.
• Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those that begin drinking at age 21.
• Kids who drink are more likely to become victims of violent crime, involved in alcohol-related traffic crashes, and to have serious school-related problems. 

The ability to drive, according to the NHTSA (National Traffic Safety Administration), is affected by alcohol in the following ways: 

• A decline in visual functions and loss of judgment and alertness.
• A reduced muscle coordination and impaired perception makes it harder to detect and react to danger and emergency driving situations.
• A slowed mental processing ability results in substantial inability to control the vehicle, maintain lane position and brake appropriately. 

Alcohol and drug use is a very risky business for young people, and parents can make a difference. 

When a supportive family environment is provided, MedGroup believes there is a lowering of the rate of adolescent alcohol use. When children can have conversations with their parents and learn about the dangers of alcohol and drug use, they are 50 percent less likely to use alcohol and drugs. 

“Should you or a loved one be injured as a result of someone else’s poor decision to drive while under the influence of alcohol, an attorney at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. can help determine your rights,” said Hurt By Drunk Driver Attorney, Randall Spivey.

Hurt By Drunk Driver Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.