Leading Manchester Lawyer Backs Todays Calls For More Action On Teenage Drink-Driving

Manchester lawyer, Jonathan Betts, has backed calls for more action on teenage drink-driving, following the alarming statistics released today by road traffic charity Brake, that highlight one in five teenage drivers admits to drink-driving.

According to the survey released in conjunction with Co-op Insurance, approximately 20 per cent of 17 to 18-year-old motorists admits to drinking before getting behind the wheel, with one in 14 admitting to driving while under the influence of drugs.

The news comes as no great shock to Jonathan Betts, personal injury lawyer at Manchester based firm Irwin Mitchell. Betts who has represented many victims from across the region, who have been injured in road traffic accidents caused by drivers under the influence said today: "We are seeing more fatalities on our roads due to young drivers under the influence than ever before.

He continues: "More needs to be done to inform young drivers of the risks and horrific consequences of what they are doing can have on peoples' lives. We need to ensure that young drivers are very aware of the dangers of drink driving, the combination of inexperience and alcohol or drugs is often deadly."

Brake is calling on the Government to overhaul driver training and introduce graduated licenses. Betts believes that the introduction of such a policy would be beneficial and would result in a reduction in accidents on the regions' roads."