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Drinking and Driving Among Youth: A Study of Situational Risk Factors

NCJ Number
120687
Journal
Health Education Quarterly Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1989) Pages: 373-388
Author(s)
M E Vegega; M D Klitzner
Date Published
1989
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examines the situational factors associated with youthful driving while intoxicated and riding with an impaired driver.
Abstract
Data was collected from face-to-face interviews with 120 youth who had reported having engaged in DWI behavior and with 121 different youth who reported having ridden with an impaired driver (RWID). The goals of the study were to determine whether there are consistent situational factors associated with DWI and RWID among youth and to determine whether the situational factors vary as a function of demographic variables. A need to get home or a need to get a passenger home is the situational determination in most cases. In most cases there are three target times for DWI or prevention or intervention strategies: prevention of youth drinking and the establishment of a non-drinking lifestyle among youth, and attempt to disassociate drinking and driving, and strategies which attempt to limit morbidity and mortality among driving drivers and their passengers. Future health promotion program development and research should address both multiple levels of influence and multiple risk factors. 2 figures, 1 table, 34 references.