Broward DUI Lawyer Blog

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has told the state of Florida that it must do more to combat teen drunk driving accidents, according the Channel 10 News.

Veteran Fort Lauderdale drunk driving defense lawyers and DUI lawyers elsewhere in Florida are likely to support additional education for young drivers. Not just about drunk driving, but about the dangers of speeding, distracted driving and other poor driving decisions.

Florida is one of the only states in the nation that has not passed a distracted driving law aimed at regulating text messaging while driving or cell phone use while behind the wheel -- the majority of states have already done so -- particularly when it comes to teenagers. Not Florida. In fact, Florida is one of the few states that has not only failed to pass a distracted driving law but has passed a law preventing local city governments from enacting their own restrictions.

The federal government reports that 40 percent of all fatal drunk driving accidents involve teenagers. Teens are also substantially more likely to be involved in an accident caused by speeding or by distracted driving. If we can cut the number of fatal accidents in half by eliminating teen accidents caused by drunk driving, we're all for any and all educational initiatives.

But we also believe that teenagers arrested for DUI in Fort Lauderdale deserve access to high-quality legal representation. Saddling a teenager with a drunk driving conviction to "teach them a lesson" or for other reasons, is a very bad idea. A drunk driving conviction will follow a teenager into adulthood. It will not disappear from a driving record when a motorist turns 18. And it can prevent teens from qualifying for certain types of assistance, including student loans.

And it will ensure that they have a strike against them in the event that they are ever cited for a serious moving violation in the future.