The number of drinking drivers under the age of 21 involved in fatal crashes decreased by 61 percent over the past 17 years, from 4,393 in 1982 to 1,714 in 1998. This report investigates the causes of this substantial decline, which far exceeds the decline over the same period for older drivers. The report documents the changes in youth drinking and driving, and in youth drinking, and compares the changes across states and regions. There is solid evidence that four factors contributed to the decline: a shift in the age distribution of the U.S. population (the number of persons aged 15 to 20 decreased by 4 percent from 1982 to 1998 while the number of persons aged 25 to 54 increased by 31 percent), laws that increased the minimum drinking age to 21, laws that established .02 or less alcohol concentration for drivers under the age of 21, and general anti-drinking and driving efforts that affected drivers of all ages. However, these measures only partly account for the decline in crashes and the decline in self-reported youth drinking and driving. While lacking comprehensive evaluation evidence, the many education and information programs implemented during this period also appear to have been a significant factor. (Author/publisher)
Abstract