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Safety brochure targets underage drinking

A brochure published this month by ITD’s Office of Traffic and Highway Safety (OTHS) will head to school this fall as a suggested reading assignment for teenage drivers.

The brochure, “Are You Under 21? Find Out How to Keep Your License,” is intended to remind teens about the risks they take if they are caught drinking and driving.

For instance, a teen found in possession of alcohol or drugs faces possible jail time, a one-year driver's license suspension and fines of up to $1,000. Using a fake identification card also can result in a driver’s license suspension and fines.

“We’re trying to remind teenagers of one simple message: that underage drinking just isn’t worth it,” says Kevin Bechen, of OHTS. “They (teenage drivers) don’t realize that, in some situations, they may be risking their lives – as well as the lives of others. What they are more likely to take hold of, however, is the concept of losing their driver's license.”

Bechen hopes that reaching out to teens in these terms will steer them away from underage drinking and driving.

A recent Idaho State Police compliance check in Boise found that 17 of 50 bars, restaurants and stores sold alcohol to minors. In some cases, clerks looked at the minors’ ID and still sold them alcohol, according to a report in the Idaho Statesman.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research shows that drivers between the ages 15 and 20 are more often involved in alcohol-related crashes than any other comparable age group. In Idaho, 15- to 20-year-olds make up nine percent of licensed drivers, but they account for 13 percent of impaired drivers.

The new brochure will be distributed through law enforcement agencies, school resource officers and community groups. A welcome resource, the brochure was in high demand before it rolled off the printing press – a waiting list logged requests for 17,000 copies.

For more information about the brochure, contact Kevin Bechen at 334-4467.

Nationwide statistics

In 2002, 29 percent of 15- to 20-year-old driver's killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking. (NHTSA)
In 2002, 27 percent of the young male drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared with 11 percent of the young female drivers involved in fatal crashes. (NHTSA)
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people from 15 to 20 years of age. (NHTSA)
Teenagers are not well informed about the effects of alcohol. Nearly one-third of the teens surveyed mistakenly believe that a 12-ounce can of beer contains less alcohol than a standard shot of distilled sprits. (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Sixty-nine percent of the young drivers (15-20 years old) of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were unrestrained. Of the young drivers who had been drinking and were killed, 77 percent were unrestrained. (NHTSA)
About three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their life. (NHTSA)