Determine Why There Are Fewer Young Alcohol-Impaired Drivers

Hedlund, James H.; Ulmer, Robert G.; Preusser, David F. · 2001 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report investigates the causes behind a substantial decline in young alcohol-impaired drivers in the United States between 1982 and 1998. The study was motivated by the observation that the number of drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes with a positive blood alcohol content (BAC) dropped by 61 percent, from 4,393 to 1,714. This decline far exceeded the 33 percent reduction observed among drivers aged 21 and older. The research aimed to determine whether this trend resulted from specific legislative changes, educational programs, demographic shifts, or broader societal factors, and to identify strategies for further reducing youth drinking and driving. The authors conducted a comprehensive analysis using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), including Alcohol Imputation files to estimate BAC levels. They compared national trends with regional and state-level data, as well as Canadian data, to isolate specific influences. The study examined the impact of Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) laws, zero tolerance laws, law enforcement efforts, and youth education programs such as Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). Additionally, the researchers analyzed demographic data from the Bureau of the Census, economic indicators, and self-reported behavior surveys, including the Monitoring the Future study, to assess changes in youth drinking habits and attitudes. The findings indicate that four primary factors contributed to the decline: demographic shifts, MLDA laws, zero tolerance laws, and general anti-drinking and driving efforts. The population of individuals aged 15 to 20 decreased by 4 percent during the study period, while the older population grew. MLDA laws, implemented nationwide by 1988, reduced alcohol availability and deterred use, though enforcement was often weak. Zero tolerance laws, adopted by all states by 1998, deterred driving after drinking through the threat of license suspension. Crucially, the decline in drinking and driving was greater than the decline in drinking itself, suggesting that youth increasingly separated drinking from driving. Comparisons with Canada, where similar declines occurred without youth-specific laws, suggest that educational programs and broader social norms also played a significant role, despite a lack of direct evaluation evidence for these programs. The report concludes that while legislative measures and demographic changes explain part of the reduction, they do not account for the entire decline. The authors infer that extensive education and information programs, along with general traffic safety measures, significantly influenced youth attitudes and behaviors. The study recommends improving enforcement of MLDA and zero tolerance laws, continuing youth-focused programs, and strengthening measures against all drinking and driving to sustain and further reduce these fatalities.

Key finding

Fatal crash involvements involving alcohol-impaired drivers under age 21 decreased by 61 percent from 1982 to 1998, a decline significantly larger than the 33 percent reduction observed for drivers aged 21 and older.

Methodology

dataset

Provenance

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