• 11
  • April
    2011

With spring in the air, it's officially entering prom season. This means that over the next few months, teens across the country will be donning suits and dresses, taking pictures with their dates and driving to their respective schools to dance late into the evening. Unfortunately, with these annual festivities comes an increase in alcohol consumption and the risk of teen drivers being arrested for DUI first offense.

To illustrate, statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that the number of alcohol-related crashes and fatalities increase dramatically during the months of April, May and June.

In addition, the advocacy group Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) has determined that the leading cause of death among teens/young adults (15-20) is car accidents and that 36 percent of these fatal accidents are directly attributable to alcohol.

Given these somewhat sobering statistics, is there anything parents can do to help keep their teen drivers safe?

SADD recommends parents perform a few of the following steps in order to help prevent drunk driving accidents:

  • Talk about your expectations and clearly outline your rules for the evening
  • Make sure you find out who is responsible for driving and your child's plans for the evening
  • Talk to other parents to confirm what your child has told you about the evening
  • Consider volunteering to work/chaperone at the dance
  • Stay awake until your child arrives home/don't rent hotel rooms

These simple steps can go a long way toward granting you much-needed peace of mind and keeping your teen safe.

Remember, mistakes happen. Whether you have been arrested for felony DUI or DUI first offense, it is extremely important to speak with an experienced Colorado attorney if you have been arrested for driving under the influence.

This post is provided for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Stay tuned for more information in the next post from our Denver DUI/DWAI blog ...

Related Resources:

Prom, graduation season accelerates dangers of underage drinking, drugs (The Evansville Courier & Press)