Study ranks states by rate of teenage drinking and driving

On Behalf of | Oct 16, 2019 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

In Texas and the rest of the U.S., many teenagers drink alcohol and drive. According to the CDC, 3.1% of adults report driving after having too much to drink whereas 5.5% of teens report driving after drinking alcohol in any amount. In 1984, the National Minimum Legal Drinking Act set the minimum drinking age to 21.

Drunk driving is behind roughly one third of all driving fatalities in this country. The national average of DUI-related fatalities is 3.4 per 100,000 people. Some states are safer in this regard while others are not. Researchers at CheapCarInsuranceQuotes.com showed that fatality rates may be tied to the number of high school students who drink and drive by compiling a list of the 15 worst states regarding teen drinking and driving.

The worst was Arkansas with 10.7% of teenagers reportedly driving after or while drinking. Its DUI-related fatality rate came to 4.8 per 100,000 people. Second was Louisiana with 10% of teens driving after drinking and a fatality rate of 4.7 per 100,000 people.

At the bottom was Idaho with 6% of teens drinking and driving. Even there, 3.5 per 100,000 people die in drunk driving crashes. The safest state was Utah where 2.8% of high school students drink and drive, and 1.7 per 100,000 people die in DUI crashes.

When alcohol intoxication plays a role in motor vehicle accidents, it can give rise to personal injury claims. Those who believe that they have the grounds for a claim may want to consult an attorney first. In Texas, one may file a claim even if one is partially at fault, but the damages one receives will naturally be lowered based on that degree of fault. After all the proof of the other’s negligence has been gathered, the attorney may strive for an out-of-court settlement.

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