Across America, teenagers are waiting for the day when they can get their license and “hit the road,” but they may not realize the startling facts about car and motorcycle accidents. What every parent should teach their children before they get behind the wheel of a car is elementary safety precautions: double-checking mirrors before changing lanes, keeping insurance premiums paid and active, and driving defensively at all times.
The facts are sobering: the average drunk driver has driven under the influence of alcohol or drugs more than 80 times before they are caught. Although there may be a higher percentage of drunk drivers out after midnight, there could also be people who are under the influence during working — and school — hours. Each year, more than 4,500 people die in motorcycle accidents and more than 85,000 are injured: this is an improvement, but new motorists may not have sufficient reflexes to avoid unanticipated collisions.
In general, people riding motorcycles are more than 25 times more likely than people driving in cars to perish in a highway crash. In the event of a highway accident, you may want to contact a personal injury lawyer or burn injury lawyer. People who drive motorcycles without adequate protective gear can injure themselves on their own motorcycles: a burn injury lawyer should be able to visit with clients once they are out of the hospital.
Underage drivers should also be aware that in many parts of the United States, a no-tolerance policy is in full effect: if they are caught driving with any drugs or alcohol in their system, they could permanently lose their licenses and even go to jail. While a burn injury lawyer or car accident lawyer can help to mitigate the punishment for an underage driver who is caught with alcohol in their systems, they cannot reverse mandatory sentencing or permanent loss of license.
What starts as an experimentation in high school or middle school can all too frequently evolve into a dangerous game for college students: how far can we go? How drunk can we get before we pass out? Many colleges have faced intense criticism for allowing their on-campus fraternity members to haze each other with alcoholic beverages. Young adults end up dying from overconsumption of alcohol: colleges across America are working to end deaths from alcohol-related accidents during hazing rituals.
While approximately one in five teenagers has admitted to binging on alcoholic drinks, only about one in every 100 parents is aware of their teens’ activity. Parental denial can push teens toward more risky behavior, but new tests are widely available that enable parents to test their children for alcohol and drugs at home. These tests are available over the counter, and courts may subpoena the results in the event of an alcohol-related accident. Burn injury lawyers and other personal injury lawyers can often advise parents whose teens were involved in accidents related to drinking or drug abuse, but the best offense is a good defense: keep kids away from drugs and alcohol.