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Auto Accident 2.12.2022

Underage Drinking and Drunk Driving Accidents in Detroit Area: What You Need To Know

Our personal injury law firm promotes the safety of teenage drivers.  Being aware of the behavioral risks is the best way to understand how to avoid being involved in a car accident. If your children are under the age of 21 and cannot legally purchase or drink alcohol, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about them drunk driving. Underage drunk driving accidents in Michigan, Detroit, Warren, Sterling Heights, Southfield, Livonia, Troy, Macomb, Utica, Pontiac, Waterford, Farmington, Romulus, Westland, Inkster, Dearborn, and other Michigan cities. Unfortunately, teenage drinking and drug use is all too common. Many parents assume their child would never drink alcohol while a minor, but it is in fact common teenage behavior. Children are often faced with considerable peer pressure from their friends and many start drinking alcohol much, much earlier than parents realize at parties and get togethers.

In addition, children may get into a car with older friends or their friends’ siblings, who may be under the influence of liquor. Some children who are injured in drunk driving accidents involving an intoxicated, inebriated, and underage drunk driver are not always the ones who are drinking. In some cases, they are passengers or vehicles in a crash simply in the wrong place at the wrong time but may still pay a price in serious injuries.

There are several things you can do to help prevent your teenager from becoming an underage drinking statistic in your household drivers:

  • Talk to your teenage children about the dangers and risks of drinking and driving. You need to keep reinforcing the messages they hear on the news, on the media, and from their teachers. Don’t be afraid to have this mature discussion because it is still important to your teenager’s wellbeing. Use resources available through MADD and other organizations to help them understand. Contact your child’s school and ensure that they are stressing these messages and workshops available for students to help understand this critically important message.
  • Be a good adult role model by not drinking and driving yourself. Never drive after drinking alcohol, even if it is a small amount of alcohol. Keep in mind that younger children may not understand the difference between seeing you drinking one drink or more drinks. Being safe to drive and imbibing several drinks and being over the legal alcohol limit can be blurred. To be the ideal adult parent role model, avoid drinking or even becoming buzzed after having small amounts of alcohol.
  • Get to know your child’s friends and their families before allowing them to ride in their cars. This will help you understand who they are and what can help reassure you about the safety of your child.
  • Always keep alcohol out of reach of children. In your home, keep alcohol locked in a wine cellar or cabinet, and carry the key with you on your keychain.
  • Always have strict rules in place about who your child can get in the car with. Make sure your child is only allowed to get in the car with people who you know are responsible and trustworthy.
  • Always make sure your child has access to several ways to get home safely if they do find themselves in a dangerous situation e.g., Uber, Lyft etc. Many parents fail to make the offer to their children. However, sometimes, our children can be afraid to admit that they have been drinking or have been spending time with people who are drinking because of the fear of punishment or living in denial. Make sure your child is comfortable to discuss drugs and alcohol.  Make clear to your child that there are easy options to get home, whether that means giving them money for taxis cab or encouraging them to call Uber, Lyft, family friends or other relatives who don’t have the ability to punish them. Your goal is to get them home safely rather than discipline them.

Looking for Teenage Drunk Driving Lawyers?

If your child is injured by a drunk, underage driver, getting fair compensation to help pay for your child’s rehabilitation, medical bills, tutoring, and other costs can be difficult. To find out what your legal options are, arrange a free, no obligation case consultation with a Homestead car accident attorney by contacting The Joseph Dedvukaj Firm at 1-866-447-3563 (1-866-HIRE-JOE). Our attorneys have more than 27 years of experience and have helped thousands of injured persons and hurt families recover fair compensation for their injuries.

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The Joseph Dedvukaj Firm, P.C represents Michigan clients in a full range of personal injury matters. If you have been injured, contact us for a free consultation.
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