BOZEMAN — The Gallatin County DUI Task Force tracks rates of DUIs in the county and says there are some incidents of teenagers driving under the influence—something they hope to prevent through education.
“It wasn't a significantly high number, but it wasn't like a super low number,” says Gallatin County DUI Task Force Coordinator Hali Kapperud.
Kapperud says in 2022, Gallatin County saw four DUI convictions for those under the age of 18.
“18 to 29 is our largest age group for DUIs,” she says.
Out of the 420 DUI defendants in 2020, 177 of them were in the 18-29 age group—the highest of any age range. Kapperud spends most of her time educating high school and college students about the dangers of driving while intoxicated.
“A lot of them don't always know that there is two different legal limits. So, for under 21, it's .02,” Kapperud says.
Steve McCormick is the traffic education instructor for the Bozeman School District. His big focus when teaching students?
“In our classroom component, we look at the signs of drunk driving, what are the effects that alcohol and other drugs can have,” says McCormick.
McCormick sees this sort of education as important for students.
“What I tell the students is, if you do end up drinking, call for a ride. Your parents are going to be angry, but it's going to be better than the Sheriff's deputies coming to the door saying something has happened,” says McCormick.
Kapperud says the biggest things to look out for are swerving on the road.
“If someone is driving, like really, really slow, they're being overly cautious. Sometimes that can be a sign,” says Kapperud.
Both say it's never too early to start teaching your kids to be safe and aware.
“As soon as they’re approaching driving age, even if they are in middle school, because they are learning about drugs and alcohol because they are biking, so you want to make sure they are safe on the bike too,” says McCormick.
