The finding was the result of a telephone survey of more than 400 young adults conducted in September 2002. It was conducted by The California Alcohol Forum and The California Office of Traffic Safety to examine the attitudes, practices and legal awareness surrounding drinking and driving among people between the ages of 19 and 25 and to identify preventive messages. This is the age group most likely to suffer fatalities in alcohol-related crashes and experience crashes where the driver has been drinking.

Of the 405 people interviewed, just over 40% were Caucasian and a little more than 25% were Latino, followed by African Americans, Asians, American Indians, Pacific Islanders and others. Almost one-quarter of the respondents were under 21.

Several 19-25 year olds were interviewed on video, answering the same questions about drinking and driving as did the 405 respondents to the telephone survey.  Their responses were very similar. The audio from these videos be heard in clips throughout this article, or can be heard in its entirety here. (22 minutes)

The vast majority of respondents reported that under-aged drinkers find it somewhat or very easy to obtain alcohol. Under-age respondents reported that the last time they drank they got alcohol from a party or from friends or acquaintances

The researchers found that:

• Most respondents reported that they always wore their seatbelt; respondents who consumed alcohol were less likely to always use them; 

• 34% of respondents reported they had driven after drinking, and 17% reported driving when they thought they had consumed too much to drive safely; Listen to the clip 

• Men were more likely to report driving after drinking than women, by a rate of 41% to 28%;

• Men were also more likely than women to report having driven when they thought they had too much to drink to drive safely;

• Respondents age 21 and over were significantly more likely to report driving after drinking than those younger than 21;
   
• More than half said it was somewhat or very likely that they would be stopped by the police if they were driving after drinking; The majority thought it somewhat or very likely they would be arrested if stopped for driving after drinking; Listen to the clip  
   
• Some 88% said that it was somewhat or very easy for persons under 21 to obtain alcohol; 21% of under-aged drinkers said that the last time they drank they got it at a party; 29% of them said got it from a friend or acquaintance; Listen to the clip
  
  
• More than three-quarters (77.8%) of the entire sample said it was somewhat or very easy to get drunk in a bar;

• Nearly two-thirds of all respondents knew that the blood alcohol concentration limit was .08%, and roughly the same number thought it would take them one to two drinks to reach the legal limit. Listen to the clip

• Nearly half thought that it would take three or more drinks for them to become an unsafe driver.

The factor that respondents cited most often as one that would keep them from driving after drinking was the presence of a sober friend or relative. The second most popular alternative was a Safe Rides/Free Cabs program. Among the DUI prevention campaigns that respondents suggested were family scenes, messages emphasizing the consequences of DUI and slogans.