NCJ Number
101445
Date Published
1986
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The Student Assistance Program (SAP) and the Reduce Our Adolescent Drinking and Driving (ROADD) program, operated in many high schools in New York State, are promising ways of dealing with the problem of alcohol-related driving accidents among adolescents.
Abstract
Drunk driving is the leading cause of death for people age 15 to 24. Factors that increase the risks for adolescents are their sense of immortality, peer pressure, rebelliousness, the desire to appear in control, enjoyment of risk taking, beliefs that no alternatives exist, and beliefs that taking the risk is the best alternative. Teenagers' inexperience with driving complicates the issue. SAP, started in 1979 in Westchester County, is modeled after employee assistance programs. The student assistance efforts deal with various personal problems and have made clear the need for a program specific to alcohol and driving. As a result, ROADD began in 1984. It provides six sessions drawn from education modules related to alcohol and driving. ROADD instructors are not part of the school hierarchy. The program reached 1,938 students in 11 high schools in its first year. Questionnaires covering knowledge and attitudes before and after the program have shown positive results. However, students need better instruction on how to prevent their friends from driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 7 references.