Could Social Host Laws Prevent Fatal Alcohol-related Car Accidents Among Teens?

In 2010, slightly more than half of Americans aged 12 or older surveyed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported to have consumed at least one alcoholic beverage within the past 30 days. Moreover, nearly a quarter of respondents said that they had engaged in binge drinking.

While teenagers are susceptible to the same effects of alcohol consumption as adults—delayed reaction time and impaired judgment and coordination—their lack of experience with operating a motor vehicle makes them more likely to crash while drinking and driving. In 2009, 30 percent of the drivers aged 16-20 years old who were killed in motor vehicle collisions had a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08 percent of higher, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Moreover, drivers in this age group with BACs of 0.05-0.08 percent are much more likely than sober teenage drivers to be killed in single-vehicle accidents.

Studies have indicated that teenagers are beginning to drink at younger ages than in the past. Whereas the average age of a teen’s first drink in 2003 was 14, it was 17 ½ in 1965, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In its 2007 report on underage alcohol use, the agency indicated that approximately 50 percent of adolescents had consumed alcohol by the age of 15.

In response to these statistics and fatal traffic collisions in local communities, cities and the state of California have enacted laws to hold adults accountable for providing alcohol to minors. Recently, Irvine joined the Orange County cities of Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills when it passed an ordinance that will result in fines of between $750 and $3,000 for party hosts who serve alcoholic beverages to or permit their consumption by underage attendants of social gathering held on private property. After a law passed in 2010, if a party host furnishes alcohol to a minor and that minor then causes a fatal or injury accident, the victims may take civil actions against the host.

Considering that social gatherings involving minors where alcohol is present are more likely to occur in a private residence than a bar or public area, social host laws have significant potential for reducing fatal and injury car accidents, explains a lawyer. Given that the laws in Orange County and throughout the state have only recently been enacted, it may take a few years until the impact of them is fully realized.

By: Larry Drexel

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Larry Drexel is a Public Relations manager. To obtain free, informative books or articles he suggests visiting Orange County Car Accident Lawyer.