Alcohol has long been considered the most dangerous factor that impairs drivers on the road. According to statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and as reported by Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD),the rate of drunk driving is highest among young drivers — 23.4 percent of all reported drunk drivers are 21 to 25 years old. This is likely because of social norms that dictate young adults are the most common bar patrons; it may also have to do with the fact that younger drivers may not yet have systems in place to ensure that a designated driver is present.
The numbers are even more dire for drivers who are not even yet technically legal to drink ever: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drivers aged 16 to 20 are 17 times more likely to die in a crash when they have an illegal blood alcohol content (above .08 percent) than if they were not drinking at all.
It is not all bad news when it comes to teens and drinking, however. The CDC reports that since 1991, the percentage of teens in high school who drink and drive has declined 54 percent. While this is a significant decline, the CDC also reports that in 2011 nearly 1 million teens drank and drove.
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