Full Notification

The Fourth of July is a time of celebration and outdoor festivities. Families and friends will plan parties and small gatherings that often include alcohol. Be mindful of the influence you have over your teens at the gathering you are hosting and know what type of gathering your teen plans to attend!

Tips for YOUR holiday gathering:
Provide alternative transportation options
Include non-alcoholic drinks
Do not drink alcohol in front of teens

Tips on Talking to YOUR teens about holiday safety:
PARENTS have the influence:
More than 80 percent of children say parents are the leading influence in their decision to drink or not.

Bottom line: Underage drinking is just not worth it
Fourth of July holiday can be a dangerous time on the roads
It is illegal and NEVER OK to drink underage
Encourage them to attend per-arranged safe and sober events
Review your Parent-Teen driving agreement during this holiday season.

Young Driver and Alcohol Involvement Facts:

In fatal crashes in 2009 the highest percentage of drivers with a BAC level of .08 or higher was for drivers ages 21 to 24 (35%), followed by ages 25 to 34 (32%) and 35 to 44 (26%).

In 2009, 33% of the young drivers (15 to 20 years old) who were killed in crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher; 28% had a BAC level of .08.

In 2009, 24% of the 15- to 20-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes were drinking, compared to 4% in injury crashes and % in property-damage-only crashes
.
Among young drivers ages 15 to 20, 625 drivers were killed at the age of 20 –highest in this age category; 41% of these drivers were drinking – highest in this age category.

In 2009, a total of 1,314 children age 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those 1,314 fatalities, 181 (14%) occurred in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Out of those 181 deaths, 92 (51%) were occupants of a vehicle with a driver who had a BAC level of .08 or higher, and another 27 children (15%) were pedestrians or pedalcyclists struck by drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher.

For young drivers (15 to 20 years old), alcohol involvement is higher among males than among females. In 2009, 27% of the young male drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared with 15% of the young female drivers involved in fatal crashes.

Drivers are less likely to use restraints when they have been drinking. In 2009, 60% of the young drivers of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were unrestrained. Of the young drivers who had been drinking and were killed in crashes, 70% were unrestrained.