A new survey from Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) has found that 23 percent of teens admit to driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs.
The large majority of teens (91 percent) consider themselves to be “safe/cautious” drivers.
Yet many teens do not even consider alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs a distraction or deterrent to their driving ability. Of teens who admit to drinking and driving, nearly 40 percent claim that alcohol has no impact on or even improves their. Among teens who admit to driving under the influence of marijuana, the large majority (75 percent) feel the same way.
There are more than 3,000 teen driving deaths each year. Recent data from the Governors Highway Safety Association found a 19 percent increase in the number of teen driver deaths (ages 16 and 17) in the first half of 2012.
Victoria Spears
Victoria Prussen Spears is senior vice president of Meyerowitz Communications Inc., a law firm marketing communications consulting company. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn Law School, Ms. Spears was an attorney at a leading New York City law firm before joining Meyerowitz Communications. She may be contacted at [email protected].