An accident involving three vehicles injured four people in East Las Vegas, according to police reports. The crash took place at Flamingo Road and Nellis Boulevard. A 17-year-old who was initially believed to have been DUI was able to pass a field sobriety test and was given a citation for causing the accident as well as a license violation. Four people who claimed to have minor injuries were transported to the hospital. Police closed Nellis Boulevard on the northbound side for several hours as they investigated the crash.
DUI'S IMPACT ON TEEN ACCIDENTS
While teens do not make up the largest group of drivers cited for DUI, they are more likely to receive a DUI if they drink at all since teens have different standards for DUI than adults. In every state, teens are not permitted to drink alcohol legally, so most states, including Nevada, have a different per se blood alcohol limit for teens than for adults. In 2012, according to the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, there were 82 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Nevada. Nine of these crashes involved teen drivers who were impaired. This means that teens statistically have about half the incident of drunk driving crashes as adults per 100,000 population.
The good news is that teen drunk driving arrests have decreased by more than 70 percent in the past ten years, primarily due to better education about teen drinking and stricter enforcement of laws against selling alcohol to minors. Teens are also held to a stricter standard for DUI charges. Any driver under 21 can be charged with DUI with a blood alcohol level as low as .02 percent, according to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. This different standard for teens comes from the fact that teens are legally not allowed to consume alcohol, so any amount in their blood constitutes a crime.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I AM INVOLVED IN A DUI ACCIDENT?
If you are injured in an accident with a driver who is drinking, you should protect your rights by discussing your case with a personal injury attorney. High Stakes Injury Law in Las Vegas has professional auto accident lawyers that are ready to work with you to collect monetary compensation for your injuries including reimbursement for medical bills, payment for pain and suffering and other expenses related to your crash. Contact High Stakes Injury Law today for more information.