Underage Drinking and Driving
PowerPoint by John Arney
Questions to Start With
• Do you know anyone who has been in an
accident related to drunk driving?
• Was it his/her fault or another driver’s fault?
What is Drunk Driving?
• According to lawcore.com, drunk driving is
when an operator of a vehicle has consumed
enough alcohol to inhibit him/her from driving
in a safe manner.
For Starters
• Why is the legal age for drinking 21, when in
most countries it is much lower?
– Truth… Drinking hinders long and short term brain
growth.
• This effects things such as
– Memory
– Learning Capabilities
– coordination, emotional control, thinking, decision-making,
hand-eye movement and speech
Here in NC…
• In North Carolina, the blood alcohol
concentration at which one is considered
legally intoxicated is .08%
• Drivers under 21 are legally intoxicated when
their blood alcohol level is .01% or more.
What if?
• What if you are the one
left alive while your best
friend that was riding
beside you is no longer
with you?
• What if the driver of the
other car doesn’t make
it BUT you do?
What if?
• What if the other passenger
barely makes it but has major
medical problems because of
the choice YOU made?
– Jacqueline Saburido was 20
years old when she was hit by
a drunk driver. She is now 23.
The Facts
• Alcohol is the most widely used substance of
abuse among teenagers in America.
• By age 15, approximately ½ of America’s youth
have had a whole drink of alcohol, not just a
few sips.
Facts
• In 2008, an estimated 11,773 people died in
alcohol-impaired traffic crashes
• 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an
alcohol-related crash in their lives
Quick Facts
• On average, someone is killed by a drunk driver
every 40 minutes in the US
• Each day 36 people die and almost 700 more are
injured in vehicle crashes that involve a drunk
driver
The Dangers
• Injury to yourself or another
• This could even mean the loss of life
More Dangers
• There are other dangers on top of injury…
– Being caught and pulled over by a policeman
Punishment
First offense
•
•
•
•
Fine (up to $4000!)
License suspension or restriction
Attendance at a DUI education course
Probation
Second offense
• A jail sentence
• Another hefty fine
• An almost definite license restriction
Another form of Punishment
• Some states are even identifying drunk drivers
on their driver’s license.
• Humiliating?
New Ways of Preventing Drunk Driving
• Cameras to monitor if you are actually paying
attention or capable to drive
One Question to Leave With
• Is driving drunk really worth messing your life
up over?
Works Cited (Pictures)
• "2,670 = Drunk Driving Deaths So Far In 2009." Cognac. Web. 18 Feb 2010.
<http://cognac.com/2670-drunk-driving-deaths-so-far-in-2009/>.
• "Bad Things Can Happen When You Drive While Intoxicated." The Elliot
Schlissel New York Law Blog. Web. 18 Feb 2010.
<schlissellaw.wordpress.com/.../>.
• "Dont Drink and Drive." Torch. Web. 19 Feb 2010.
<http://www.torch.aetc.af.mil/>.
• "Drinking and Driving." San Diego Personal Injursy. Web. 16 Feb 2010.
http://www.sandiegopersonalinjuryattorneyblog.com/
• "Jacqueline Saburido ." A Real Story of a girl. Web. 15 Feb 2010.
• "Mock crash teaches lesson about drinking and driving." mLive.com. Web.
16 Feb 2010. <blog.mlive.com/>.
• "Police Cracking Down." Maine Person Injury Law. Web. 16 Feb 2010.
<http://www.mainepersonalinjurylaw.com/uploads/>.
Works Cited
• Free Advice, . "Drunk Crimes." Free Legal Advice. 2007.
FreeAdvice, Web. 18 Feb 2010.
<http://www.freeadvice.com/>.
• MADD, . "Get the truth about the 21 Law." WHY 21?
(2007): n. pag. Web. 18 Feb 2010. <http://why21.org/>.
• MADD, . "Statistics." Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(2009): n. pag. Web. 16 Feb 2010.
<http://www.madd.org/>.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, . The
Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce
Underage Drinking2007. 2007. Surgeon General, Web. 19
Feb 2010.
<http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinki
ng/calltoaction