Drunk Drivers’ Teen Riders Likely to Imitate

Riding in cars with impaired drivers greatly increases the risk that a teenager will also drive after drinking, a study finds. The study was based on surveys of about 2,500 teenagers. They were surveyed every year from 10th through 12th grades. Depending on the survey, about 12% to 14% reported impaired driving in the last month. About 23% to 38% reported riding in cars with someone who was drunk or drugged in the last year. Numbers were adjusted to account for factors that affect the odds of impaired driving. These included drinking habits, gender and the level of parents’ education and teen supervision. The more often teens rode with impaired drivers, the more likely they were to drive while impaired themselves. Those who reported riding with an impaired driver on a single survey were 11 times as likely to drive impaired as teens who never rode with an impaired driver.