LEGISLATION RAISING THE LEGAL DRINKING AGE IN MASSACHUSETTS FROM 18 TO 20: EFFECT ON 16 AND 17 YEAR-OLDS

The 1979 Massachusetts law raising the legal drinking age from 18 to 20 is examined--the effects on the drinking, drinking and driving, and nonfatal and fatal crash involvement of 16-17 yr-olds, teenagers immediately younger than those targeted by the law. Data from Massachusetts are compared with those from New York State, where the drinking age remained at 18. A total of 3 yr of survey data from the two states and 6 yr of data from the Department of Transportation's Fatal Accident Reporting System provide for pre- and postlaw comparisons. The findings suggest that raising the drinking age had minimal effects on the drinking behavior of Massachusetts teenagers. Although there was a significant reduction in nonfatal crashes in Massachusetts compared with New York, no decline in single-vehicle nighttime fatal crashes or in overall fatal crashes was observed. It is suggested that changes in the drinking age may offer some reduction in teenage driving after drinking and traffic crash involvement, but that teenage drinking and driving after drinking remain serious problems even in states that raise their drinking ages.

• Availability:
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• Corporate Authors:

  Rutgers University, New Brunswick

  Center of Alcohol Studies
  New Brunswick, NJ  United States  08903
• Authors:
  • Smith, R A
  • Hingson, R W
  • Morelock, S
  • Heeren, T
  • Mucatel, M
  • Mangione, T
  • Scotch, N
• Publication Date: 1984-11

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 534-539
• Serial:
  • Journal of Studies on Alcohol
  • Volume: 45
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Rutgers University, New Brunswick
  • ISSN: 0096-882X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol use; Crash rates; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Fatalities; Impacts; Legal drinking age; Night; Single vehicle crashes; Teenage drivers
• Identifier Terms: Fatal Accident Reporting System
• Uncontrolled Terms: Increase
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00399368
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-038 347
• Contract Numbers: 1 H84AA04392
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 30 1985 12:00AM