Predriving riders and drinking drivers

A social learning model was used to investigate why young adolescents, 15 years of age and under, ride with drinking drivers. A total of 384 adolescents completed a self-report survey instrument. Zero-ordered correlations and regression procedures indicated that adolescents in this age group have a high frequency rate of riding with drinking drivers, and that social learning variables are important in explaining the behavior. Four of the five social learning subsets were accepted as significant in understanding the social dynamics of the problem. Prevention efforts that focus on predriving youth and account for social learning variables hold promise for the development of prevention strategies.