According to the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Safety and Traffic Branch and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 1998 nearly 1000 young people aged 14 to 20 in Fort Collins were cited for possession of alcohol and 23 young drivers were charged with driving under the influence. This is a significant number considering the jurisdiction is comprised of fewer than 24,000 teenaged residents.
Because of this, an organization was formed to combat teenage drinking and driving. The goal of team Fort Collins is to reduce the problem by 10 percent through a combination of retailer training (how to prevent underage sales), improved false ID scanning, recruiting of youths to participate in the process, and development of SADD (Students Against Dangerous Decisions) chapters in the four local high schools. Thus far, studies have shown that the program has worked at reducing underage drinking and DUIs significantly.
What can you do to help? The first step is always acknowledgement of the problem. Please consider joining DriversEd.com in the campaign to increase awareness about the problem of teen drinking and driving. Please visit our “I Am Not a Statistic” section for more information.
