Nearly One-Third of Underage Drinking Deaths Are Traffic-Related
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George Doyle/Stockbyte/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Nearly two-thirds of deaths due to underage drinking are not related to drunk driving, according to data analysis released by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
One of MADD’s initiatives urges parents to talk to their children about alcohol, selecting April 21 as PowerTalk 21 day. In advance of this year’s PowerTalk 21 day, MADD is releasing new analysis that shows just under one-third of underage drinking deaths are caused by drunk driving.
MADD estimates that 32 percent of all underage drinking deaths were caused by traffic accidents. According to the analysis, the remaining 68 percent included homicides, suicides and alcohol poisonings.
However, traffic fatalities still make up a higher percentage of underage drinking deaths than any other cause. Homicides accounted for 30 percent of the deaths in the study, suicides accounted for 14 percent, and alcohol poisonings made up 9 percent. The remaining 15 percent fell under the category of “other causes of death.”
MADD advises parents to discuss alcohol consumption with their children, calling the conversation “sometimes difficult, but potentially lifesaving.”
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