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Communities Talk What’s New articles share information to help event organizers plan, host, and evaluate events aimed at mobilizing a community around evidence-based prevention of underage drinking.

Talk About Safe Driving this Holiday Season

11/10/2022

The holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, is one of the deadliest times of the year due to impaired driving. The need to address impaired driving by young drivers is urgent; they report driving while under the influence more often than older drivers.

While 8.7 percent of young drivers (ages 16 to 25) drove under the influence of marijuana, only 3.7 percent of people ages 26 and older did so.
12 percent of young drivers drove under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs, while 10 percent of the older group did so.*

Reminding parents and caregivers to talk with their youth about safe driving is particularly important when there are celebrations with family and friends that involve alcohol. The U.S. Department of Transportation has developed seasonal campaigns and products including playbook guides, animated and static images, animated banner ads, earned media, and sample social media messages to use with your community.

*Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed tables. Table 6.28B.