What Are Some Teen Drunk Driving Statistics?

One of the leading causes of death among teenagers is drunk driving.

These tragedies are completely preventable, and through aggressive educational campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, the good news is that the number of teenagers who drink and drive has significantly decreased in the past thirty years.

Facts about teenage drunk driving

Teenagers know that they should not drink alcohol and that they should not drive if they do drink alcohol.

Unfortunately, teenagers’ brains are still in a developmental stage and are not fully reliable for making the best decisions in every circumstance. Their immature brains are also vulnerable to the effects of alcohol in an exaggerated way when compared to an adult’s brain.

Consciousness

Adults commonly experience short-term effects after consuming alcohol, such as slurring their words and feeling fatigued. The brain of a teenager responds differently to alcohol than an adult’s brain.

Teenagers are more likely to believe that they are safe to drive after drinking alcohol because they do not notice the effects of the alcohol on their bodies as quickly. This false sense of invulnerability leads more intoxicated teenagers to drive and endanger everyone, including themselves.

Impaired Judgment

Teenagers are more prone to making poor decisions simply because their brains have not fully developed yet. This lack of decision-making skills is amplified while under the influence of alcohol.

Even if teenagers notice their symptoms of impairment, they may still choose to drive. Alcohol affects the drinker’s judgment and decision-making skills, and these effects are greater in teenagers than in adults.

These impaired decisions include choosing to enter a vehicle as a passenger of a drunk driver. Peer pressure also plays a part in teenagers’ decisions to act in ways that they normally would not if they had a clear mind.

Lack of Impulse Control

Teenagers are impulsive by nature, again because of their level of brain development. Their lack of impulsive control deepens in severity with the influence of alcohol.

Teenagers are less likely to react quickly to their surroundings due to the suppression of their brains’ hormonal responses to stress that alcohol induces. This suppression is also why they often make quick decisions that do not make logical sense to a sober person.

Loss of Coordination

Alcohol has a direct effect on the cerebellum of the brain. The cerebellum is the section of the brain that is responsible for balance and muscle coordination.

Alcohol disrupts the cerebellum’s control of the body’s motor functions. This disruption also increases the time it takes the driver to react, which is extremely dangerous while driving.

Blacking Out

A blackout occurs when the individual is still conscious but they later have no memory of the events they took part in or of their actions during that time. Blackouts are different from passing out, in which the individual loses consciousness and does not move.

A driver who blacks out will not remember driving drunk, whether they were involved in an accident, or the details surrounding such an event.

Fear of Consequences From Parents

Most teenagers live with their parents and often drive their parent’s car to social events with their friends, where they are exposed to alcohol.

Perhaps they did not plan on drinking, but whatever the case, they are likely to feel anxious about admitting their guilt of drinking alcohol to their parents. They may choose to drive in an attempt to return the car home to hide the fact that they took part in illegal activity.

What Percentage of Accidents Are Caused by Underage Drunk Driving?

Underage drinking and driving continues to be one of the major reasons leading to preventable road deaths on North Carolina highways, such as I-40 or the Triangle Expressway. 

• Fatal Crash Involvement: Approximately 25% of fatal crashes involving teenagers include cases of underage driving after drinking. The data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that more than 27% of youth aged 15-20 who die in car crashes had alcohol in their system at the time of the crash. 
• Frequency of Impaired Driving: Minors drive under the influence about 2.4 million times each month, according to national statistics. In total, almost 40% of fatal crashes due to drunk driving include people under 21 years old. 
• Passenger & Seatbelt Risks: More than 350 teens die as passengers of a drunk driver every year. About 56% of these people did not wear a seatbelt when the accident occurred. Surveys show that 30% of teenagers have been in a car with a drunk driver, while about 10% of teens reported having driven under the influence. 

Consequences For Underage Drunk Driving

According to North Carolina’s zero-tolerance policy (N.C.G.S. § 20-138.3), driving with any amount of alcohol or drugs is illegal for drivers below 21 years of age. In addition to heavy administrative and criminal penalties, minors who cause injuries while driving impaired in Wake or Forsyth County will also be liable for civil damages: 

Administrative Penalties

In the state of North Carolina, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) imposes administrative suspensions of licenses at the time of arrest and upon conviction:  

• Civil License Revocation: A minor driver arrested for driving after drinking is subject to a civil suspension of the driver’s license for thirty days at the time of arrest.  
• Mandatory One-Year Revocation: A person convicted under N.C.G.S. § 20-13.2 has their license automatically revoked for one full year by the court and the DMV.  
• Implied Consent Law (N.C.G.S. § 20-16.2): All individuals driving on public roads of North Carolina are deemed to have given implied consent to breath or blood testing if the driver is suspected of drunk driving. Refusing to undergo a breath test leads to an automatic one-year license suspension, whether or not the driver is convicted.  

Criminal Penalties

According to North Carolina law, minors operating a vehicle under N.C.G.S. §20-138.3 (Driving After Consuming Under 21) or N.C.G.S. §20-138.1 (DWI/Impaired Driving) may face charges once their BAC level reaches 0.08% or shows some appreciable impairment. 

• Class 2 Misdemeanor: Underage driving after consuming alcohol falls under a Class 2 misdemeanor and can incite a penalty of imprisonment for 60 days and a $1,000 fine. 
• Probation & Community Service: Most times, first-time offenders will receive a community punishment (1 to 30 days suspended sentence) and admission to an alcohol/drug abuse program, probation, and community service. 
• Repeat Offenses & Active Jail Sentences: In case of repeat offenses and prior convictions, motorists may expect to undergo stricter punishment and probation, and they might be assigned a county jail term or a prison sentence. 

Call “The Heavy Hitters” to Get the Compensation You Deserve

No matter what age the driver was, driving under the influence is an irresponsible and reckless breach of duty that leaves victims with severe injuries, high health care costs, and emotional distress.

At Tatum & Atkinson, our North Carolina drunk driving accident lawyers act quickly to gather critical evidence, including police crash reports, scene documentation, and toxicology records, to bring offenders to justice.

You can call us at (800) LAW-0804 to get a free consultation.

About the Author

Robert Tatum

Robert Tatum is the founding attorney at Tatum & Atkinson. He is licensed to practice in all North Carolina state and federal courts and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He earned his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2002 and his B.S. from the University of Virginia in 1999. His practice focuses on personal injury law. Connect with him on LinkedIn.