Teens Who Ride With Impaired Drivers More Likely To Drive Drunk

A recent study found that teens who have been in a vehicle with an impaired driver are more likely themselves to drive while impaired. The study also found that the more times they are driven around by an impaired driver, the more dangerous their own driving habits become.

The study surveyed 2,500 U.S. students every year between the 10^th and 12^th grades to examine impaired driving. Shockingly, about 30 percent of those students surveyed had either driven while intoxicated, or had ridden with an intoxicated driver within the last three years. Overall, between 12 and 14 percent of students reported riding in cars with drunk or drugged drivers within the past year.

The survey found that students were much more likely to drive drunk or drugged if they had been in a car with an impaired driver. Teens that reported riding with drunk or drugged drivers were 10 times more likely to drive impaired than those who had never ridden with an impaired driver. If the teens reported on two surveys that they had ridden with an impaired driver, they were 34 times more likely to drive drunk themselves.

The scientists who worked on the survey concluded that early exposure to impaired driving could come across as normal behavior to teens, who can be very impressionable. The idea of drinking and driving may not seem dangerous if the teen is around that behavior enough.

If you have a teen who you suspect is drinking and driving, it’s critical to put a stop to that behavior. The teen could injure or kill himself or herself or another person. The teen could face criminal charges, and you could even face a civil lawsuit if your teen’s involved in an accident in your vehicle.

If you have been injured in an accident involving drunk driving in Houston, you have a legal right to compensation. Call our Houston accident attorneys. Our attorneys will be happy to provide you with a consultation on your case. Call us to learn more.