Almost half of the drivers arrested for a DUI in Sammamish are underage, reports Q13 Fox.

City police chief Nate Elledge says that an amazing 40 percent of all DUI arrests last year were for drivers under the age of 21. And of this group, many were under the age of 18.

We all know that individuals drink before age 21. And we know that teens get behind the wheels of the car drunk. However, the percentage of Sammamish underage drunk drivers is staggering when considering that the national average of underage drunk drivers arrested is 10-15 percent of all DUI arrests made.

Naturally, community members are now asking "why."

Some suspect that because Sammamish is a wealthier community, there is simply more opportunity for drunk driving. That's because rich kids have money to buy alcohol and likely have access to a car.

As a parent, you may be wondering what you can do. A large part of preventing underage drunk driving is educating children. You can let them know that drunk driving can have serious consequences for both themselves and any victims of an accident. In addition, getting arrested for drunk driving can have lifelong consequences such as having a criminal conviction on their record.

Furthermore, parents may want to let their children know that minors can be arrested for a DUI for a blood alcohol level as low as 0.02. Many people do not realize that minors have a different legal standard for drunk driving and someone could be convicted of the offense for drinking as little as one beer.

If your child has been arrested for a DUI, you need to get them experienced legal representation. Just because they're charged with a DUI, this does not mean that they are guilty of an offense.

The attorneys at Wolff Criminal Defense have years of DUI defense experience in the Seattle and King County areas. If you have any questions, contact us at 425-284-2000 to schedule a free consultation.