It never ceases to amaze how much trouble a teenager can get into, especially when it comes to cars.

Most recently on the news, two Santa Rosa teenagers were involved in a car crash after driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding on Hall Road. However, as it turns out, the driver isn’t the only one guilty. His minor female passenger had apparently, tried to wrestle the wheel away and caused the crash.

According to the California Highway Patrol, while the car was traveling at 70-80mph when it skidded off the road, hit an oak tree and overturned. The two suffered moderate injuries and were taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.

The 17-year-old male driver may be charged with DUI. The 17-year-old female passenger, was over the .08 percent BAC limit and was also arrested on suspicion of felony drunken driving causing injury.

The names of the teens involved in the crash will not be released as the driver may be arrested and the girl because she is a juvenile facing a criminal charge.

Underage drinking is inextricably linked to risky behavior, especially such as driving under the influence. While the legal age for drinking is 21, it is still a popular activity for America’s youth because it is relatively easy for minors to get their hands on alcoholic beverages.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, if teenagers are convicted of using alcohol or a controlled substance and if they are between the ages of 13 and 21, the court will tell DMV to suspend you for one year.

If the driver doesn’t have a license yet, the court tells DMV to make you wait a year longer before you can apply for a license. The driver can also be required to go to a DUI program. Any restriction, suspension, or probation will continue past the teen’s 18th birthday for its full term.

Other stronger actions can be taken if the driving record or the incident justifies them. In California, once the driving privilege has been suspended or revoked, one cannot drive in California with any license or permit.

Teenagers, when once they have the opportunity to drive should be in mind one very important advice: Don’t drink and drive. If they take that lesson to heart, they will be saving not just their lives but a good deal of trouble and inconvenience in the future.

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Is alcohol really that unavoidable for those who work in showbiz?

Artie Lange, The Howard Stern Show veteran, MADTV cast member, who has appeared in various comedy films was arrested after his 2009 Nissan Sentra rear-ended a 2004 Pontiac in Toms River, New Jersey.

Lange was reportedly in New Jersey to promote his new book, “Too Fat To Fish”. But apparently, Lange is not too fat to net charges of driving under the influence of an intoxicant and careless driving.

Although the Police said that the comedian was cooperative, the state of New Jersey can sentence first-time offenders to as long as to 30 days in jail, require as much as 48 hours in community service, levy fines as high as $1,000 and can strip a person of his or her driver’s license for as long as one year.

Considering his celebrity status, Lange should really have known better than to drink and drive. So many other celebrities have suffered the same fate and notoriety but he, unlike some of them, may not get scot free. Perhaps the fact that he’s a first time DUI offender may help?

According to the DUI Foundation, on average, a first time drunk driving offender has been drunk 87 times prior to being arrested. It’s scary to imagine that there are so many drunk drivers on the road but you don’t know because they just don’t get caught.

Some people would argue (as Lange probably did), that a few drinks would be fine and that it won’t affect their driving skills. Unfortunately, that is a sad misconception that even a lot of good, law-abiding citizens share.

But alcohol is an anti-depressant, it slows down the functions of the central nervous system and yes, that’s basically where your brain is. Thus, when alcohol is consumed, a person’s judgment, concentration, comprehension, coordination, visual acuity, and reaction time–become impaired.

Having a few drinks is still no excuse for driving after drinking. People also have different absorption capacities for alcohol so even a few drinks can be deadly. Consuming alcohol before getting behind the wheel greatly increases the risk of car accidents, highway injuries, and vehicular deaths.

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