Teenagers Drinking and Driving Statistics in Georgia

Teenage drinking and driving is a serious problem that plagues communities across Georgia, putting young lives at risk and causing devastating consequences for families. Despite ongoing efforts to educate young people about the dangers of impaired driving, teenagers drinking and driving statistics are still alarming.

It’s important to understand the factors contributing to this dangerous behavior and discuss strategies for reducing alcohol-related accidents among young drivers. If you have been injured due to a drunk driving incident, contact us online or call Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. at (770) 205-8827 to speak to a DUI accident attorney in Georgia.

Our legal team can help you recover damages and get the compensation you deserve. Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. has helped clients get awards from $25,000 to $500,000 for victims of drunk drivers. And since we work on a contingency fee basis, you pay nothing unless your case is a success.

Teenagers Drinking and Driving Statistics in Georgia: What You Need to Know

Statistics specifically related to drunk driving rates among Georgia teens are somewhat limited. Data from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety indicates the following:

• Among Georgia drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 years, six percent of those involved in fatal wrecks had consumed alcohol.
• In the above group, four percent had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) above the legal limit of 0.08 at the time of their crashes.

Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides more information about teen drunk driving throughout the nation. Per the NHTSA:

• Car wrecks are the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S.
• Approximately a quarter of fatal wrecks involve an underage driver who’d been drinking.

What Age Group Causes the Most Car Accidents Involving Intoxicated Drivers?

NHTSA data reveals teens aren’t the ones most likely to be intoxicated on the road. According to the NHTSA, most drunk drivers belong to one of these two age groups:

• 21 to 24 years
• 25 to 34 years

However, young people are overrepresented in crashes. For example, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 represent only 3.6 percent of licensed drivers in the U.S. However, they account for 9.3 percent of all drivers involved in wrecks throughout the country.

Intoxication isn’t the only factor that can result in teen drivers causing accidents at higher rates than others. Teen drivers are naturally inexperienced. Lack of experience is often a factor in crashes involving young motorists. The combination of inexperience and intoxication can be particularly dangerous.

In addition, teen drivers’ brains may still be developing. A young driver who can’t yet appreciate the risks of doing so may be more inclined than other drivers to engage in risky maneuvers.

General Teen Drinking Statistics

Statistics about teen drinking habits in general may also shed light on this issue. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA):

• About 19.7 of children between the ages of 14 and 15 report having consumed alcoholic beverages at least once in their lifetimes.
• People between the ages of 12 and 20 account for approximately 3.2 percent of all alcohol consumed in the country.
• When young people drink, it’s not uncommon for them to binge drink. Hundreds of thousands of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 report binge drinking on five or more days within a given month. Millions of them report binge drinking at least once within a given month.

Young people might binge drink for several reasons. Potential explanations include:

• Lack of access – Young people may only have sporadic access to alcohol. Thus, they might feel the urge to overconsume on the occasions when they do have access.
• Poor understanding of limits – Young people with limited drinking experience might not know their limits. They may have learned much of what they know about alcohol consumption from pop culture.
• Peer pressure – Peer pressure is a factor that may cause young people to drink alcohol in the first place. It might also cause a young person to feel they need to drink large amounts. A teen may binge drink to impress their friends.

Binge drinking can dramatically increase a teen’s risk of causing a wreck behind the wheel. Parents should educate their children to guard against such crashes and extreme consequences like a DUI-related death.

Contact a Georgia Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Have you been hurt in a drunk driving wreck someone else caused? If so, you’re likely eligible to receive compensation. You can file a claim with the drunk driver’s insurance to seek compensation for medical bills and similar losses. Pursuing compensation involves several steps. They include documenting your losses, negotiating with claims adjusters, and potentially filing a lawsuit to pursue compensation if the insurance company won’t make a fair offer.

At Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C., a Georgia drunk driving accident lawyer is available to review your case and offer dedicated representation. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us at (770) 205-8827 for a free case review.

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