Designated driving among college students.
OBJECTIVE
We studied the frequency of designated driver use, predictors of designated driver use, whether designated drivers use alcohol, and barriers to using a designated driver.


METHODS
Undergraduates at Arizona State University (N = 544) completed a questionnaire assessing designated driver use. The mean age of participants was 20.6 years old and 52% were male. Criterion for inclusion in the study was that participants had consumed alcohol at least one time.


RESULTS
Eighty-six percent (86%) of participants had used a designated driver. Monthly alcohol use and driving to drinking destinations were positively associated with designated driver use. Ninety-four percent of participants indicated that their designated driver occasionally consumed alcohol. The most frequent reason for not using a designated driver was, "I stayed where I was drinking until I was sober" (37%). Less alcohol use among friends was associated with sounder methods of designated driver selection.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest those groups at risk for alcohol-related driving accidents tend to use designated drivers at high rates, but these groups tend to choose designated drivers who consume alcohol.
Barr
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Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85287-1104, USA.
MacKinnon
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DP
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data