More Teens Drink and Drive on New Year’s Eve Than on Any Other Holiday

While New Year’s Eve may conjure images of a celebratory toast, it’s also traditionally one of the worst days of the year for alcohol-related car crashes and deaths for young drivers.

New data from a 2011 teen driving study by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) reveals an interesting yet cautionary anomaly. According to the study, teens believe New Year’s Eve is the most dangerous time of the year to drive, yet it also is the holiday or event when teens most frequently drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

Some 49 percent of teens surveyed said New Year’s Eve is a very/extremely dangerous time to drive — but 10 percent of those surveyed also said they have driven under the influence of alcohol or drugs on New Year’s Eve.

According to the survey of nearly 2,300 eleventh and twelfth graders, when teen drivers were asked about how dangerous they feel certain events and holidays are for driving and the likelihood of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs on those days, New Year’s Eve topped both lists.