YOUTH ALCOHOL AND RELATIVE RISK OF CRASH INVOLVEMENT

This paper examines evidence pertaining to drinking and driving among youth to determine the extent to which alcohol has special significance for crashes involving young drivers. Findings show that frequent and heavy alcohol consumption among teenagers and young adults is not unusual, although they are less likely than older age groups to drive after drinking. Nonetheless, those young people who drive after drinking have a greater risk of crashing than older drinking drivers at all alcohol concentrations. An explanation for this is that young people are 'inexperienced' with drinking and driving. Limited behavior research supports some of the assumptions in this reasoning. An alternative hypothesis is that the comparatively higher, crash-risk among young drinking drivers is attributable to a subset of this group that engage in risky driving behavior and who also happen to use alcohol. Further investigation of this subject would provide sounder empirical basis for policies and programmes to reduce crash involvement among youth.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Mayhew, D R
  • Donelson, A C
  • Bierness, D J
  • Simpson, H M
• Publication Date: 1986-8

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 273-287
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Alcoholic beverages; Behavior; Blood alcohol levels; Driver experience; Drivers; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Hazards; Research; Risk assessment; Teenage drivers; Traffic crashes
• Subject Areas: Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00496159
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-039 748
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 31 1990 12:00AM