Oklahoma drivers may not realize that nearly one-quarter of all young drivers who are involved in a fatal traffic crash have alcohol in their system at the time of the accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has partnered with the Ad Council for National Teen Driver Safety Week, and their new campaign is designed to raise awareness about drunk driving among teenagers. Car accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers and nearly half of those killed are drivers.
The public service advertisements were filmed with iPhone cameras to portray drinking and driving incidents as ‘party fouls.” From spilling a drink to knocking over a lamp, the ad shows how party fouls that teenagers are concerned about committing are insignificant in comparison to the consequences of drinking and driving.
The ad campaign appears on numerous social media outlets, including Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter. It is geared towards helping teenagers become more aware of the consequences of driving drunk. The Ad Council has partnered with the NHTSA in many different awareness campaigns since the 1980s with the iconic ‘Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” campaign. National Teen Driver Safety Week takes place in October of each year, and the NHTSA encourages parents to speak with their children about other dangerous driving practices, such as texting, cellphone use and speeding.
Victims of car accidents caused by drunk drivers often face high medical bills and a prolonged recovery period during which they are unable to work. A personal injury attorney can often be of assistance to an injured victim in seeking compensation from the negligent motorist for the losses that have been sustained.