As Prom Season Arrives, Be Careful About Drinking And Driving

It seems that nearly every month of the year offers some occasion for some people to get together with friends and have a good time. Spring is the time of year when teens tend to get ready for their prom nights, and aside from renting tuxedos and buying dresses, consuming alcohol has unfortunately become too regular a component of too many prom experiences both in Las Vegas and across the rest of the United States.

Given this unfortunate reality, we hope to help bring some awareness to this issue before people are injured or worse because of the actions of a drunk driver. There have been several studies that have been done that relate to drinking and driving on prom night in the United States, and one recent study that was completed by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Students Against Drunk Driving, or SADD, stated that approximately 90 percent of teens who were surveyed indicated that their peers would be more likely to drink and drive on prom night than at any other time during the year. The results of this study tend to make sense.

Prom night is seen as ‘the’ night for high school juniors and seniors to let loose and engage in behaviors that they would normally avoid, and within that context getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alcohol could become more likely even for teens who otherwise do not get themselves into trouble. We ask that anyone heading to prom this month take steps to avoid making this terrible and potentially deadly mistake.

There are obvious and relatively cost-effective steps that can be taken by anyone going to prom that would remove drunk driving as a possibility. Many people get together in groups and hire a limousine to drive them around wherever they want to go. Some people will take the responsible step of designating a sober driver for the evening, and still others will make arrangements to stay the night at their after-prom party so that they are not on the streets when they shouldn’t be.

None of these recommended steps should be taken to condone underage drinking, as that is also an issue that merits awareness. However, the age-old reality of prom night is that some people will consume alcohol, and those that do should not compound their bad choices. Statistics indicate that drinking and driving is one of the leading causes of death for people who are under 20 years old in the United States.

If you are out during a prom night and you are involved in an accident that is caused by a drunk driver and you’re injured, there are steps that you can take to protect your legal rights. You should explore those possible steps with the help of Las Vegas accident lawyers who have a long history of holding people who cause this type of suffering accountable. Contact High Stakes Injury Law today to schedule a free initial consultation.