Driving Under the Influence

The statistics don’t lie.  Driving under the influence is a serious issue that takes lives.  Last year in Delaware, more than 5,500 people were arrested for DUI, and 24% of the state's traffic deaths were alcohol related.  According to the state of DE’s statistics, 62% of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities occurred between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., with males age 21 – 34 being the most likely to be involved in an alcohol-related crash.

Now, new reports show that there may be a way for parents to decrease the chances that their children drive under the influence – stop doing it themselves.  Reports show that adolescents are far more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs if they live with a parent that drives under the influence.

According to SAMHSA’s latest report, 18.3 percent of 16 and 17 year olds living with a mother who drove under the influence of drugs or alcohol also drove under the influence – as opposed to 10.9 percent of the adolescents who lived with a mother who had not driven under the influence. The difference was even more pronounced for fathers - 21.4 percent of adolescents living with a father who drove under the influence also drove under the influence, as opposed to 8.4 percent of adolescents living with a father who did not drive under the influence.

SAMHSA has developed an online tool at www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov/ to help parents create an action plan to talk with their children about the dangers of underage drinking.