Drunk Driving Accidents And Spring Break In California

Over the next few days, thousands of college students in California will head for Spring Break, a yearly ritual that involves partying, friends and copious amounts of alcohol. Drinking is almost synonymous with Spring Break, but it's important for students to know the dangers of drunk driving over the break.

Most colleges in California will break between the second and third week of March. But cities like San Diego will play host to large numbers of college students on their break, and law enforcement officers will be alert to the increased risk of accidents caused by drunk driving offenders. Unfortunately, the numbers of drunk driving accidents involving college students hikes significantly during and over Spring Break.

Although law enforcement officers have been able to bring down the numbers of fatal accidents caused every year due to drunk driving, they have made little progress in reducing the numbers of accidents related to alcohol and involving teenage or young drivers. This category of drivers tends to be the most immune to law enforcement efforts to curb drunk driving. Much of this can be blamed on peer pressure.

Teen motorists can be under huge pressure from their friends to indulge in undesirable driving behaviors, like drunk driving. These students have only been driving for a few years, and they have less experience with drinking and knowing when to stop. That's why you see more instances of DUI among college students. What makes it worse is that these students also have very little experience driving. The average college student out on Spring Break has only been driving for a few years, and simply lacks the experience needed to know how much alcohol he can imbibe without it affecting his ability to drive safely. This creates a volatile combination, when the motorist is out driving under the influence of alcohol.

This Spring Break, California car accident lawyers would like to see colleges get more involved in preventing DUI amongst students. There are no studies to indicate that intervention by colleges and parents can help college students understand the risks of drunk driving, and prevent the kind of accidents that result from such behavior. For instance, colleges can encourage a buddy system, where teens look out for each other, lowering the risk of drunk driving. Teenagers also need to understand that the consequences of being involved in a drunk driving crash.

Even if an accident does not result in damages, persons driving under the influence can find that a DUI conviction on their record not just affects their higher education prospects, but also their chances of finding a good job after college. Besides, when you are involved in an accident caused by drunk driving, you may be held responsible for any injuries or damage that occurs as a result of the accident.