Prom can be the highlight of a teenager’s high school experience. It is a long-celebrated tradition that many students in Florida look forward to every year. However, one tradition that some teenagers engage in at prom is underage drinking. One AAA survey reports that of teenage respondents between the ages of 16 to 19, 41 percent stated that on prom night they or their friends planned on drinking or taking drugs.
While consuming too much alcohol is dangerous for teenagers, this danger is only increased when they get behind the wheel of a car. In fact, car accidents are the leading cause of death for those between the ages of 12 to 19. Moreover, as many as one-third of teen drunk driving traffic deaths take place during the months of April through June.
To address this serious issue, the firefighters and police in Clearwater, Florida, gave a mock drunk driving accident presentation to students at two area high schools. A high school librarian also shared an experience she endured when four of her family members lost their lives due to an accident caused by a drunk driver.
Many teenagers have a sense of invincibility, believing that bad things will never happen to them. Unfortunately, drunk driving accidents occur every day, killing people of all ages. Prom season may be a prime time for drunk driving accidents, so it is good to remind young drivers of the dangers of drinking and driving. Doing so could potentially lower the number of drunk drivers on the road, and, therefore, reduce the number of drunk driving accidents that occur this time of year in St. Augustine and throughout the state.
