Do the designated drivers of college students stay sober?
OBJECTIVE
By numerous accounts, alcohol abuse is considered the number one drug problem facing young people today. Alcohol consumption and its negative consequences, especially those due to drinking and driving, continue to have devastating effects on the college student population.


METHODS
This field study examined the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of male and female designated drivers (DD), non-DD, and their respective passengers as they were leaving drinking establishments in a university town. Also investigated were the effects of group size and gender on DD use.


RESULTS
A 2 Gender x 2 Driver type (DD vs. non-DD) analysis of variance (ANOVA) for BAC indicated significant main effects for Gender and Driver type, with higher BAC for men and non-DD (p's<.001). A significant Gender x Driver type interaction (p<.05) was primarily due to female DD having lower BAC than male DD. In addition, larger groups were more likely to have a DD.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicate that the success of DD programs may be influenced by group size and a DD's gender. While larger groups are more likely to have a DD, students riding home with a male DD may still be at risk for the negative consequences of drunk driving.
Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg 24061-0436, USA.
Mary Ann
MA
Timmerman
E Scott
ES
Geller
Kent E
KE
Glindemann
Angela K
AK
Fournier
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001334:Automobile Driving; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities
D000431:Ethanol