Dallas DWI Lawyer Blog

Studies of teenage driving show that 16-year-olds are three times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers.  According to a 2005 survey of 1,000 people ages 15 and 17, conducted by the Allstate Foundation :

• More than half (56 percent) of young drivers use cell phones while driving,
• 69 percent said that they speed to keep up with traffic
• 64 percent said they speed to go through a yellow light.
• 47 percent said that passengers sometimes distract them.
• Nearly half said they believed that most crashes involving teens result from drunk driving.

However, in a study by the National Highway and Saftey Adminisration, only 23 percent of teen drivers killed in 2005 were intoxicated.  That means 77 percent were due to other factors such as the ones listed above.  Teenagers can be and are dangerous drivers. Their inexperience, the willingness to take risks and frequent driving with friends at night increases their vulnerability. They make up only 7 percent of the driving population, yet are involved in 14 percent of all traffic deaths with appoximatley 80 percent due to factors other than alcohol.

If we as a society are really concerned about the amount of deaths and serious accidents from driving we should take a closer look at the teen driving and the restrictions placed on them.

 If you or someone you know needs advice about an alcohol related driving offense call the Dallas DWI Lawyer at 214-457-1668.