There's no definite answer for that question, but some common beliefs are:
Since the drinking age is 21 here in the states (many other nations its between 16-18) teens tend to ';rebel'; or act out and decide to drink. It holds a certain charm/appeal because they aren't supposed to/allowed to do it. As a result, they drink, assume they're fine (a bit of the ';I'm young and therefore can't die/have bad things happen to me'; mentality), and then get in the car.
There's also the fact that not all teens are educated in the effects of alcohol. I know when I was in High School is was just ';Drinking is bad. You get drunk. You can get killed. Its bad for your liver.'; and that was about it. All of those are very vague points that never received any full explanation. Since a majority of teens get about the same minimal information I did, they don't fully understand its effects.
Peer pressure can also be a pretty common one. A teen goes to a party, someone happened to bring alcohol with them. Everyone else starts drinking, the teen feels left out or has their friends egging them on with a ';Just one sip won't hurt'; sort of deal, and it goes from there.
Most commonly though, in my experiences, I have found it is the first point I made that occurs. Teens in the states aren't allowed to drink, their parents punish them (or other adult/authority figures) for drinking. So it holds the ';taboo'; charm and becomes a ';must do'; for them.
Growing up, I've always been allowed to drink (since I was about 10ish) so long as it was within my parent's household (or another relative's.) As a result, drinking never seemed like an exciting, big deal to me. I rarely drink now. Whereas, a friend of mine lived under very strict conditions in their parent's home and just about everything was forbidden. The second we would go to a party, they'd be chugging down tons of a drinks.Why is drunk driving a problem for teenagers?
Overall this problem has not gotten enough publicity and awareness鈥?most parents don鈥檛 realize that their kids have access to alcohol nonetheless that they 鈥榤ay鈥?be driving drunk.
The solutions to this problem encompass education, awareness, preventing access to alcohol, and most of all prevention.
I think there's 2 problem that comes together for this. First there problem with teens drinking and getting drunk. Then there's the problem of teen with lack of self control (or lack of experience).
And you put that in one group, you get drinking and driving.
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Remember that you don't need HIGH percentage of teens doing this. Even just few in a town can run havoc with public safety.
Good Luck...
because teenager think they are friggin invincible! they have the ';it can't happen to me'; mentality.. most grow out of it by their middle 20's
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