Youth, alcohol, and traffic accidents. Current status

The interaction of youth, alcohol consumption and driving has been the leading contributor to morbidity and mortality in the United States among persons under 40 for over thirty years. While a considerable literature has evolved, only since 1968 has the literature acquired a truly scientific character; frequently the literature is not widely distributed and found only in technical reports. This contribution reviews the state of knowledge of youthful, alcohol-related traffic accidents based on both the open literature and the research which is found in technical documents. The consequences of youthful alcohol consumption and theories regarding the etiology of traffic accidents which result from drinking by youth, a review of attempts to reduce the magnitude of the problem, and recommendations for research are presented.