Designated driving among college students

We studied the frequency of designated driver use, predictors of designated driver use, whether designated drivers use alcohol, and barriers to using a designated driver.

Undergraduates at Arizona State University (N = 544) completed a questionnaire assessing designated driver use. The mean age of participants was 20.6 years old and 52% were male. Criterion for inclusion in the study was that participants had consumed alcohol at least one time.

Eighty-six percent (86%) of participants had used a designated driver. Monthly alcohol use and driving to drinking destinations were positively associated with designated driver use. Ninety-four percent of participants indicated that their designated driver occasionally consumed alcohol. The most frequent reason for not using a designated driver was, "I stayed where I was drinking until I was sober" (37%). Less alcohol use among friends was associated with sounder methods of designated driver selection.

Findings suggest those groups at risk for alcohol-related driving accidents tend to use designated drivers at high rates, but these groups tend to choose designated drivers who consume alcohol.