Louisiana drivers have the responsibility to drive safely. This includes not getting behind the wheel when they are under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, many teenagers are not listening to the warnings and obvious risks of drinking and driving. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, thousands of teens are dying due to driving while impaired each year.
Teens may not realize the effects alcohol has on the body, specifically the brain. Alcohol lessens decision-making abilities, which further increases the chance that a teen would make a wrong choice about driving when they are not safe to do so. They may not realize the effects alcohol has on the brain. Everything is slowed down. The perception of this is not always felt by the person either, which leads them to believe they are okay. However, it will slow reaction time and prevent a person from being able to properly coordinate their movements.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report some staggering numbers about drunk driving. Younger people are more likely to be involved in an accident when under the influence than older drivers. Drunk driving killed almost 10,000 people in 2014. Children up to the age of 14 accounted for 19 percent of those deaths.
Stopping this epidemic involves better education and proactive work to stop people from getting behind the wheel when intoxicated. Promoting school education programs and stiffer enforcement of drinking age laws can help teens from driving when drunk. Also, enacting laws that allow no exceptions for teen drivers who are convicted of drunk driving may also help keep the roads safer.
