Zero Tolerance for Underage Drinking
More than 35 percent of all deaths of 15-to 20-year-olds result from motor vehicle crashes; 37 percent of those crashes were alcohol-related. In 1994, 22 percent of 15- to 20-year-olds involved in fatal crashes had some alcohol in their blood. That alcohol involvement rate is about twice that of the over-21 age group. The relative risk of a fatal crash for drivers under 21 is greater at low alcohol levels than it is for older drivers. (U.S. Department of Transportation figures.)
Florida law now makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 years to drive after the consumption of alcohol. The new law places a higher standard on under-21 drivers as Florida joins the majority of states who have now embraced "zero tolerance" for underage drinking and driving. (Note that Florida law considers any driver to be under the influence of alcohol who has a blood or breath alcohol level of .08.)
The new law allows a police officer to require a breath test from a driver under the age of 21 if the officer has probable cause to believe that the driver has been drinking. Under the new law the under-21 driver who has a blood or breath alcohol level above .02 (allowing for a trace element of alcohol found in over-the-counter medications) will lose his or her license for 6 months to a year. If the driver refuses the test, the license will automatically be suspended.
Young drivers place a high value on their drivers' licenses, and the threat of license revocation has proved to be an effective sanction for this age group. Studies show that zero tolerance laws also reduce traffic fatalities and certainly complement existing state laws which prohibit alcohol sales and service to youth.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Association studies revealed that the .02 law in Maryland resulted in an 11 percent decrease in the number of drivers under age 21 involved in crashes who, police report "had been drinking." A study in four other states revealed a 34 percent decline in adolescent night crashes during the post-law years as compared to only a seven percent decrease in adult night fatal crashes.
If you have an under-21 driver in your family, take the opportunity to discuss this new legislation with them. It provides you with one more safeguard for you, your family and everyone else who shares our roads.