In the summer, many people can’t resist the thought of an ice cold beer or a fruity pina colada. Alcohol is a part of many summer celebrations and barbeques, and the icy beverages are a refreshing part of summer sports games or nights or poolside hang outs. Yet while alcohol can sometimes be a fun form of entertainment, it is not meant for the road. While many songs champion driving the highway with a beer in hand this is expressly illegal. Drinking until your blood-alcohol content is above 0.08 can merit a DUI charge which could cause you to lose your license, spend time in jail, pay fines, serve community service, and be forced to attend rehabilitation programs. If your drinking and driving facilitated an accident and a man or woman lost their life, then you could end up spending decades in prison with a DUI manslaughter charge.

These serious sentences should not be taken lightly. If you are the designated driver, limit your alcohol consumption so that you don’t end up in trouble with the law later on that night. According to Drinking Problem, summer comes with an increased number of teen DUIs. When it comes to underage drinking, the law is ruthless. If you have a BAC above 0.00 and are under 21, then you can be arrested for an underage DUI. This is because teens are not permitted to consume alcohol in any context, and are at danger to hurting themselves and others when they are out on the road. These drivers are normally fresh and can end up in dangerous situations when their inexperience is combined with impairment.

In the summer, teens don’t have as much accountability and are often out later at night spending the night with friends or going to parties. Without the need to do homework, sleep to prepare for school, or adhere to common curfews, these teens can sometimes end up in situations which promote drinking. Statistics show that 3,000 15-19 year olds lost their lives in car crashes in the year 2009. The vast majority of the accidents happened during the summer, when teens had freedom to go where they wanted in their vehicles. 350,000 teens were injured in accident that year, and most of these accidents occurred in summer as well.

Some states are trying to address the dangers of summer-month driving with extra enforcement. In North Carolina, the Highway Patrol sends state rippers into high schools to warn kids of summer driving risks before school lets out. IN Maryland and Virginia, parents receive PSA and PTTO warnings to take particular care with their children and possibly enforce a curfew during the summer to keep their kids out of trouble. AAA posts lists of the 10 driving errors that teen make and what can be done to avoid them so that the teens won’t continue to make foolish driving decisions on the road during these months.

One report says that in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, 50 percent of all teen driving fatalities take place in the summer. Maryland/Virginia lost 299 teenagers in four years all within the months between Memorial Day and Labor Day. If you are a parent, then you may want to consider watching your children when they participate in summer activities and reminding them to avoid any parties or situation which would promote drinking and driving. By practicing sage driving abilities, the teens will be able to better their safety and the safety of those around them. By being careful, your teen can stay out of trouble and be ready to head back to school when the summer months come to a close.