What Teens Think About Impaired Driving

The U.S. Department of Transportation held focus groups with teens on impaired driving. Its report, Teen Unsafe Driving Behaviors, Focus Group Final Report, was released in 2007 and included these observations from the focus groups:

• In the focus groups, teens had no memory of any drunk-driving related messages.
• The teen participants do not see anything wrong with underage drinking and very little wrong with driving after having consumed just a beer or two. Many believe they can tell when they are too drunk to drive.
• Most teen participants believe that marijuana does not affect their driving. Some even believe they are better drivers when they are stoned.
• Project Prom-type programs (e.g., The Grim Reaper, crashed car, etc.) are memorable, but several students commented that they only saw them at the end of the school year.