According to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer teenagers are drinking and driving. In 2011, nearly one million high school teens reported that they got behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. This is a scary number, but is lower than in previous years. In fact, drinking and driving among high school teenagers has gone down 54% since 1991.
While this risky behavior continues to be a major threat, there are three factors that seem to be affecting the decline. The CDC credits the statistics to stricter DUI laws and restrictions on teen driving. Teens in many states have limits on the hours they can legally drive at night. Another factor is that less teens are getting behind the wheel at all. Years ago, teens would work after school and save their cash to buy a car as soon as possible. Today, there are fewer job opportunities for teens because of the slowdown in the economy, so less saving. Also, the price of gas today is so high, that fewer parents and teens have the additional cash to pay for their teen to drive around.
A third factor is overall alcohol and drug awareness. Mother’s Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and various other organizations have done an excellent job at getting the word out to teenagers that drinking and driving do not mix. Parents are also more aware of the risks and get their adolescents the additional education they need to understand the repercussions of DUI offenses by enrolling them in alcohol and drug awareness classes.
School systems across the country bring the subject up each year with Red Ribbon Week discussions. Smart parents take this conversation one step further by enrolling their kids in a 12 hour Minor In Possession class online. Drinking and driving among teenagers is still a factor in more than 800 deaths each year, and car crashes are the leading cause of death in the 16 – 19 age range. It’s important that parents are proactive about talking about drugs and alcohol with their teens early, before anything serious happens.
The bottom line is that even though there are fewer teen drunk drivers on the road, underage drinking continues to be a huge problem. Teen drivers are already nervous and inexperienced on the road. Add alcohol and drugs into the picture and it’s a deadly combination.
Online Minor In Possession, DUI or Alcohol and Drug Awareness classes are an interesting and educational way for teens to learn about abuse and dependency and how they affect the body physically and mentally. Classes also teach how to avoid the peer pressure that comes with the subject. Furthermore, adolescents today have grown up with computers and feel completely comfortable using them. They therefore like taking these classes online in the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of their own home. Parents can sit through the course with their teens to discuss and review any issues that arise. And, it’s a totally private way of learning the information, so self-conscious teens don’t need to feel embarrassed in the large group setting of a classroom.
For minors who have been caught by the law for DUI and need to fulfill an alcohol class requirement, online classes are the way to go. First check with your judge or court system to make sure they will accept distance-learning classes. If they do, all you need to do is register for the correct length of class and it’s available to you immediately. A Certificate of Completion is issued when the final exam has been successfully passed with a 70% score or better. The final can be retaken until the student completely understands the information and passes. The certificate is the documentation the minor needs to present to the court to prove she fulfilled the requirement.
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