Drunk Driving Car Accidents Caused by College Students
For many college students, though the focus of the experience is on learning, there are plenty of social opportunities students look forward to as well. Unfortunately, many social gatherings include alcohol, even when underage students are present.
Over one half of all fatal car accidents involving college aged students between 18 and 24 years old are due to drunk driving. Almost 2,000 college students are fatally injured and another 600,000 are injured in drunk driving car accidents each year. Nineteen percent of all drunk driving accidents in the United States are caused by college students.
Binge Drinking and Drunk Driving
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that binge drinking, which is the consumption of mass amounts of alcohol in a short period of time, is a national problem among universities and colleges across the country. In a survey among individuals between 18 and 22 years of age, almost 40 percent of college students reported they engage in binge drinking, compared to 32 percent of those in the same age group not enrolled in college. Fifty-eight percent of college students reported that they drank alcohol during the school year, compared to 48 percent of non-college students in the same age group.
The social atmosphere and freedom from parental supervision in college encourages students to engage in consuming alcohol, even though the majority are too young to drink legally. Parties, sorority and fraternity initiations, and experimentation often lead to overconsumption of alcohol among college students.
Many of these young adults misjudge the effect that alcohol has on their ability to drive, and far too many get behind the wheel of their car, taking multiple passengers with them. Not only does this significantly endanger all those in the vehicle, but it puts all those on the road at risk of serious and often fatal drunk driving car accidents.
Consequences of College-Aged Drunk Driving
The legal and life-altering consequences of college-aged drunk driving are severe. Many promising lives are cut short when drunk driving accidents severely injure college students. Celebrations soon turn to somber funerals for many of these young adults. Not only do they risk their own futures, but they often take the lives of innocent victims.
Students at Rutgers University, Rider University, Princeton University, Seton Hall, Rowan University, and Stockton University, and many other colleges throughout New Jersey, are filled with young adults that run the risk of serious and sometimes fatal injuries from drunk driving car accidents. As many parents send their children off to college with high hopes of bright futures, many will face the risks of drunk driving.
Legal consequences of drunk driving can also alter the life path of these young adults. Significant fines, loss of license, lawsuits, and even jail time are imposed on drunk drivers, regardless of their age. Graduating from college with a record of drunk driving charges and imprisonment can limit job opportunities and careers.
New Jersey Car Accident Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Represent Victims of Drunk Driving Accidents
If you or someone you love has been a victim of a drunk driving accident, call the New Jersey car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr at 732-537-8570, or contact us online to schedule a consultation today. Our offices are in Highland Park, New Jersey and we proudly serve clients throughout the state, including the areas of New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, and Colonia.
