Throughout Canada, the rate of impaired driving collisions has declined over the last two decades. However, the rate of drivers accused of impaired driving offences is highest among young adults. According to a 2002 report from Statistics Canada, drivers aged 19 24 had the highest rate of charges related to impaired driving.
Based on teenage impaired driving statistics from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada, auto accidents are the number one cause of death among young Canadians aged 15 25 and 50% of those crashes involve alcohol. These fatalities are truly tragic because they were truly preventable.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in an accident that was due to an impaired teen, you could be eligible for compensation in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. At Greg Monforton and Partners, we understand how difficult the aftermath of an accident can be, and we fight to get our clients the compensation they deserve.
Find out about your legal options today. Call us toll free at (866) 320-4770.
Impaired Driving Collisions Involving Teenage Drivers
Sadly, despite Ontarios zero Blood-Alcohol Content (BAC) law for all drivers 21 and under, teens continue to engage in impaired driving. The numbers are startling, as you will see from some other statistics from MADD Canada:
- Young Canadians have the highest rate of traffic-related deaths and injuries per capita compared to every other age group
- Young Canadians also have the highest rate of death per kilometer driven among all drivers under 75
- More 19-year-olds are killed or suffer serious injuries in car crashes than all other ages
- In 2009, 16-25 year-olds made up nearly 14% of the population and over 31% of alcohol-related auto accident fatalities
These statistics are truly alarming; however, when you take into consideration the fact that young Canadians are the least likely to drive impaired, it becomes apparent that skill and experience are major factors in these accidents. A teen driver is at a higher risk for accident without driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; driving while impaired significantly increases that risk.
Statistics on Teens Who Drink and Drive
According to MADD Canadas data, the teen that drinks and drives may fit a particular profile. Based on their studies, there are certain common characteristics shared by teenagers who are involved in impaired driving accidents:
- Gender: 87% of fatally injured impaired young drivers were male; 89% of those seriously injured were male
- Age: among young impaired drivers who are fatally injured, 19-year-olds are the largest proportion; 16 year-olds account for the smallest
- Season: summertime is the peak season for deaths and injuries among young impaired drivers (over 32% and 40% respectively); winter is the season when these deaths and injuries are least likely to occur (8% and over 11% respectively)
- Time of Week: the majority of serious and fatal injuries among young impaired drivers occur on the weekend
- Time of Day: the majority of serious and fatal injuries among young impaired drivers occur at night
- Type of Vehicle: most young drunk drivers are injured or killed while driving an automobile
- Type of Accident: young drunk drivers are more likely to be involved in a single-vehicle accident
- Circumstances: among all multi-vehicle collisions involving drunk drivers, 2/3 involved a fatally injured teenage driver who had been drinking and at-fault in an accident with non-drinking drivers
The statistics speak for themselves: when a driver has a BAC of .10%, he or she is 51x more likely to be in a fatal accident than a sober driver. Every young driver who gets behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or drugs is exhibiting negligence. If you were involved in an accident with an impaired teen, you deserve to have your questions answered by a qualified Windsor auto accident lawyer.
Contact Our Toronto Car Accident Lawyers
Whether you have been hit by an impaired teen driver or your teen was injured as a passenger of another teenager who was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you may have a claim for compensation. Your family shouldn’t be held financially responsible for the anguish caused by a negligent driver.
In Ontario and in most of Canadas provinces, there is a 0.00% BAC tolerance for all drivers 21 and under. When a young driver gets behind the wheel after drinking, he or she is breaking the law and making it more dangerous for anyone to be on the road. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one due to an impaired teen driver, you are not alone.
At Greg Monforton and Partners, we believe you are more than a statistic, and you deserve justice for the pain and suffering you have endured. We fight vigorously to pursue justice for each of our clients, and give each the focus and personal attention they need through a challenging time.
We proudly serve Toronto, Ontario and all of Canada, including the following cities:
- Toronto
- Sarnia
- London
- Ottawa
- Leamington
- Chatham-Kent
- Niagara
… and cities throughout the provinces.
Its 100% free to ask us general questions about your potential case. Call (866) 320-4770 now.
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