Age-21 Drinking Laws Cut Traffic Deaths
WebMD is reporting that having the drinking age set at 21 has led to far less alcohol-related fatalities, according to a new study, published in Accident Analysis and Prevention.
The laws have led to an 11% drop, and states with strong laws against the use of fake IDs are reporting 7% fewer drunk-driving related deaths among drivers under age 21.
“There has been evidence since the 1980s that an increase in the drinking age to 21 was having an impact on traffic deaths,” says researcher James C. Fell, MS, of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, in a news release. “But this is the first time we’ve been able to tease out the real effect, free of the variables that had been used to question the validity of the evidence.”
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