MADD Connecticut and Lauralton Hall SADD Partner to ?Protect Students from Riding with a Drinking Driver

Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) Connecticut and Lauralton Hall SADD are encouraging teens to protect their friends from the dangers of underage drinking and related consequences—specifically, deaths and injuries resulting from riding in a car with a drinking driver.

A recent public opinion survey from MADD and State Farm® polled 15-20 year olds across the country, asking questions about how much, how often and why they or their friends ride with a drinking driver. Results showed that one in four teens is willing to ride with a driver who has been drinking. The findings also revealed that one in three teens has been a passenger with a drinking driver in the past year; and of great concern, that 22 percent of the drinking drivers were friends under 21. In 2013, 378 youth (ages 15-20) were killed as passengers of a drinking driver1—202 (53%) deaths were a result of riding with an underage drunk driver.

During the month of October, MADD Connecticut and Lauralton Hall SADD asked area teens to protect themselves and their friends by making a pact to never ride with a drinking driver—no matter who it is or what the circumstances are—and share via social media using #protecturfriends.

“We know that youth can either positively or negatively influence each other about alcohol,” said Amber Monck, MADD Connecticut. “That’s why MADD developed Power of You(th) to empower teens to take a stand against underage drinking and to never ride with a drinking driver. We are grateful to work with Lauralton Hall SADD this October to keep our youth and entire communities safe from completely preventable consequences.”

The MADD/State Farm survey reinforces new research from Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Biobehavioral Health2, which shows that while most students don’t necessarily plan or intend to ride with a drinking driver, they’re still at great risk to do so because they are willing to, should the occasion arise. According to the study, youth play a lead role in influencing a friend’s choices to ride with a drinking driver. The more students think their friends will disapprove of them riding with a drinking driver, the less likely they will actually do it.

Encouraging results from the MADD/State Farm survey showed that nearly all (90%) of the youth respondents would be willing to intervene with friends to help them not ride with a drinking driver, and 70 percent felt comfortable that their friendships would not at all be harmed by intervening.

MADD’s Power of You(th) program, nationally presented by State Farm, empowers teens to resist peer pressure and influence other teens to make smart, healthy decisions about not drinking alcohol before they turn 21, and never getting in the car with anyone who has been drinking. MADD works with schools and community partners to promote Power of You(th) every October and throughout the year.