You could say that drunk driving is an American teenager killer.

Teenage drunk driving statistics show that 60% of teenage deaths in the whole U.S. is alcohol related. In addition, 40% of all car accidents in the country involve teens.

Drunk-driving statistics show that, car accidents are the leading cause of deaths for American teens aged 15-24. The study also shows that 74 % of those car accidents involve young drivers that are not wearing seatbelts.

Clearly, something has to be done to protect not only teenagers but everyone from these accidents.

Community

The community can play a big part in preventing drunk driving in the streets. There are plenty of simple actions everyone can take to protect teenagers from drunk-driving accidents.

Here are some basic tips that a community can pro-actively participate in:

• Education – The schools and the community must work hand in hand to educate people about the consequences of drunk driving. Schools can invite resource speakers including survivors of drunk driving accidents to talk to the students to give them a first-hand account of what can happen if you drive a car under the influence of alcohol.

• Alcohol free Prom – The community must be active in their children’s lives. A lot of drunken driving incidents happen during prom night because of a night full of drinking. Help your children organize the after-party at one of the homes and make sure that alcohol is not available for the guests.

• Sign a contract with your child – Have an agreement with your children that whenever they will need a ride home no matter the circumstance, you will pick them up and not ask questions till a later time when he/she is more comfortable. The last thing a teenager wants is someone breathing down their neck after a bad experience. Not asking questions off the bat shows them that you respect their silence. This can increase the trust your children and you have for each other.

• Write letters to liquor stores – Remind these establishments that they also have a responsibility of not letting minors purchase alcohol from their stores. Warn them that if they continue selling to minors, they will be reported to the police and the community will not patronize their establishment.

• Distribute brochures – Distribute information to different establishments like stores, churches and schools about the consequences and how to prevent drunk-driving accidents.

Drivers

Of course the drivers, teens or not, should also be responsible for their driving behavior. If the state had deemed you fit to be licensed as a driver then live up to the standard and know when you are able to drive or not.

Here are some tips a teen driver can follow in regards to driving and drinking:

• Alcohol treatment – Once you accept that you have a problem with alcohol consumption, the next thing you can do is get treatment like medical management and psycho-social support. After getting treatment, make sure you maintain a healthy lifestyle and remain sober.

• Designated drivers – Ask a friend who does not drink to drive you home or call home to ask someone to pick you up if you know that you will be drinking.

• Leave the keys – If you know you will be drinking, leave the keys at home to prevent any temptation to drive yourself after drinking.

Those are some ways to decrease the teen drunk-driving statistics in the country. The teen must be informed of his responsibilities as a driver and the community must help in educating not just the drivers but everyone that they can either help solve the problem or they can be part of the problem.