High Gas Prices and Teen Drunk Driving

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         Teens Drunk Driving and Gas Prices

   
    In the article Teen Drunk Driving Down Due To High Gas Prices, Study Says, The author explains the relationship between teens drunk driving and gas prices. The article supports the
recent study done by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that suggests that due to new
laws and higher gas prices that this has played a huge role in preventing teens from driving after
drinking. The study done by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 22 percent of
high school students admitted to driving after drinking in 1991, while only 10 percent of high
school students admitted to it in 2011. Although the gas prices have been playing a role it seems
that the legal restrictions is what’s holding the main factor of what is keeping teens off the road
after drinking. With laws and consequences for not only teens, but everybody such as the legal
age limit of 21 and a D.U.I  placed on our records is enough to keep anybody off the road.
According to the article, some more statistics state that due to the study “male students were
more likely to drink and drive than female students. It also found that boys 18 or older were most
likely to drive after drinking, while 16-year old girls were least likely.” The article goes on to
suggest a possible solution that may help the teen drunk driving rate decrease even more. Parents
getting involved in their child’s life and participating in the community can show their children
the risks and precautions of operating vehicle and even life safety practices that can possibly
save a life.

    In relation to the article above, the article Teen Drunk Driving Rates Dropping Thanks To
Higher Gas Prices also goes off the same study done by Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the authors of the article explain a little bit more in detail about that statistic that
was done. For example, not only ages were involved in what the answers were but also race. The
stats show that  “Eleven percent of white students and 12 percent of Hispanic students reported
driving after drinking, compared with 7 percent of black students.” The conclusion of this article
is a little bit from the previous article. Instead of coming up with a solution, this article seems to
be using the scare factor. With quotes relating to tragic deaths of teens can scare anybody.

    On October 2nd, 2012 another article about drunk driving and gase prices was released.
The article Teen Drunk Driving Down As Unemployment, Gas Prices Rise. The summary of this
article is that they believe that one of the main reasons, besides as prices and laws, is that since
gas is so expensive teens can’t afford it due to jobs for teens being at an all time low. Not having
a job,  especially as a teen, cant prevent anyone from buying a car and paying for the gas for it.
One thing that makes this article stand out from the rest is that it dedicates a paragraph to where
the teens may be getting the wrong idea from and not learning about the consequences from. The
parents play a big role according to the article, stating that “Teens learn from adults,” said
Pamela S. Hyde, the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. “That is why it is critically important that parents, teachers, coaches and all
caring adults in a young person’s life talk with them early and often about the dangers of
underage alcohol use as well as drinking and driving.”