Underage Drinking and Alcohol-Related Driving

In addition to the deterrence, prevention, intervention, communications, and outreach countermeasures that apply to all drivers, some countermeasures are directed specifically to those under 21.

Since 1987, minimum-drinking-age laws in all States prohibit youth under 21 from purchasing alcohol or consuming it in public. These laws influence all youth impaired driving strategies. For people over 21, drinking is legal but driving while impaired by alcohol is not. With a BAC limit of .08, drivers know they should not drive after drinking "too much," but are faced with mixed messages at low levels of alcohol, because a BAC of .05 is not per se illegal. The message for those under 21 is unambiguous: they should not be drinking at all, and certainly should not be driving after drinking.

Zero-tolerance laws in all States reinforce this message by setting a maximum BAC limit of .02 or less for drivers under 21. This effectively prohibits driving after drinking any amount of alcohol. Many policies and programs reinforcing the no-drinking message are directed primarily at youth (beer keg registration) or take place in schools or youth organizations (SADD clubs, alcohol-free prom and graduation parties). Youth receive education and information about alcohol and alcohol-impaired driving in schools and colleges and through media directed to youth.

The minimum-drinking-age laws and the no-drinking message for youth mean that youth impaired driving activities must work hand-in-hand with activities to control youth drinking. With the exception of the enforcement of zero-tolerance laws enforcement, all the countermeasures discussed below require cooperative activities between traditional highway safety organizations, such as law enforcement and motor vehicle departments, and community, health, and educational organizations with a broader social agenda than traffic safety.