The reasons for parents' ineffectiveness at intervening to prevent their teenagers from drinking and driving are described. The analysis suggests that parents' effectiveness at preventing juvenile alcohol use and alcohol-impaired driving among their teenagers depends on their stage of involvement: awareness, acceptance, action, and consequences. The available data indicate that parents tend to be unaware of the true extent and nature of adolescent drinking and are thus less prone to acceptance and action. Like Problem Behavior Theory, the model emphasizes parental control and communication with children as influential factors contributing to the prevention of problem behaviors. However, unlike the Problem Behavior Theory, this model describes some of the specific dynamics that enable drinking and driving to exist among adolescents. Tables, figure, and 59 references (Author abstract modified)