What works when it comes to teenagers driving while impaired by alcohol?
Many states raised minimum alcohol purchasing ages from 18 or 19 years old to 21 during the 1980s. All states now have 21-year-old alcohol purchasing age laws, which successfully reduce alcohol-related crashes among teenagers. However, enforcement is needed to make these laws even more effective. All fifty states and the District of Columbia have zero BAC thresholds for teenage drivers, prompted by federal legislation that took effect October 1, 1998. Research from states where this policy was implemented earlier indicated a reduction in teenagers’ nighttime fatal crashes.
