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Study ranks 15 states with highest number of teen drunk drivers

On Behalf of | Oct 15, 2019 | Car Accidents |

Teenagers should not be drinking any alcohol, much less driving drunk, but both alcohol consumption and drunk driving are frequently reported among teens in Oregon and across the U.S. The CDC states that 5.5% of teens drive after drinking alcohol. By comparison, 3.1% of adults do the same. Drunk driving is behind thousands of crashes and one third of all driving fatalities.

One study from CheapCarInsuranceQuotes.com has shown a correlation between the number of high school students who drink and drive in a given state and that state’s overall rate of drunk driving fatalities. Researchers compiled a list of 15 states with the highest statistics.

It was found that 10.6%, 10% and 7.6% of high school students reportedly drink and drive in Arkansas, Louisiana and Montana, respectively, putting these at the top of the list. The DUI fatality rates came to 4.8, 4.7 and 4.5 per 100,000 people, respectively. The national average, however, is 3.4 per 100,000 people. As for the state with the least amount of teen drunk driving, it was Utah at 2.8%. Utah’s DUI fatality rate is 1.7 per 100,000 people.

Researchers also calculated how many teens consume alcohol without reference to driving and how many teens ride with a drunk driver. In Arkansas, 26.3% of teens did the latter while 25.7% engaged in the former.

Being the victim of a drunk driver can provide solid grounds for a personal injury case, but no matter how clear it is that the other side was at fault, there’s bound to be opposition from the auto insurance companies. To prepare for this, victims may want a lawyer by their side, especially to speak on their behalf at the negotiation table or in the courtroom. A successful auto accident claim might reimburse victims for medical bills, lost wages and more.

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