We’re in a time of enhanced highway danger, with our youngest drivers at the greatest risk of all. More teenagers are involved in fatal auto collisions than nearly any other demographic groups (80+ the exception).
Teens take to the roads in summer. They head off with friends, go to graduation parties and Fourth of July celebrations, throw bonfires at the lakes and rivers. At some of these gatherings, despite Faulkner being a dry county, there inevitably is underage drinking.
Police target dry counties, too
Never assume that because you are driving in a dry county that you are immune to a traffic stop for suspected driving while intoxicated (DWI). Law enforcement officers know that simply being a dry county is not a barrier to drunken driving.
Consequences are worse for underage DWI charges
Parents, if you have a teenager or 20-year-old who gets arrested for underage drinking and driving, you need to be their advocate in this thorny situation. Otherwise, they risk becoming another statistic who is later denied opportunities that they might not yet know even exist.
Encourage and model safer drinking strategies, including a promise to call you if they are ever impaired and need to go. Remember that once they are arrested, it’s too late for that. Also teach them the importance of verbally exerting their Fifth Amendment rights, which can be as simple as them saying to the arresting officer, “I choose to remain silent.”
What that means going forward
Invoking Fifth Amendment rights stops the police interrogation immediately. That gives you the time to help craft an effective and robust defense strategy.