Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 30 000 Americans die each year in drunk driving accidents. That’s about 32 people a day dying needlessly. In addition to these fatalities, many more millions are seriously injured by drunk drivers. Drunk driving accidents are especially tragic because they are completely preventable. It is as simple as not driving if you are drinking.
This is a good time to talk to your teens about Florida car accidents caused by alcohol, because this is the time of year when teens are most at risk. The months of April, May, and June mean graduation, prom, and other festivities which can include underage drinking. Some statistics show that a significant portion of teen drunk driving accidents take place during these three months.
Many parents miss the signs of alcohol abuse because they assume that their children would never drink. Statistics show time and again that a large percentage of teens have experimented with alcohol by the time they are sixteen, however. Assuming that a teen won’t drink is not the best approach. Parents should know that there will be times when their teens are pressured to drink – and it is up to parents that their teens have the skills and tools in place to resist the temptation to drink and drive.
Many parents also have a hard time discussing the issue with their teens. It can be awkward to discuss drinking with underage minors. However, there are a number of good tools that can help. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have many resources and tips on their website that can help start the conversation. As well, many police stations have educational materials that can help parents talk to their teens.
In many cases, parents send teens mixed messages about Florida drunk driving accidents. This can be a problem. On the one hand, parents want their teens to never take part in underage drinking. On the other hand, parents want their teens to know that if they do drink they should not drive. This can seem confusing to teens. Worse, parents may have their own complicated attitudes about alcohol and other controlled substances. The key is to be the best role model possible and to have discussions about underage drinking and about drunk driving separately. That way, you can enforce the dangers of both drinking itself and drunk driving.
If you have been in a Florida car accident, the Miami, Hollywood, and Homestead law offices of the Flaxman Law Group are available for a free accident consultation. Call us to arrange for a no obligation consultation with our legal team to discuss your case. The Flaxman Law Group has helped thousands of personal injury victims already and is proud to serve the South Florida area.