It's Danger, One of 10 teens admit to drunk driving on New Year's Eve

One out of 10 teen drivers say they have driven while drunk on New Year's Eve, according to a new survey. It's the worst holiday night of the year for driving after drinking, they say. The Fourth of July was in second place.

The Liberty Mutual insurance survey of nearly 2,300 11th and 12th graders also found a large majority, 94%, of teen drivers say that they would stop driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana if asked by a passenger. Some 87% of teen passengers say they would ask a peer to stop driving after drinking. That's more than marijuana, which was 72%.

"New Year's Eve is a time to celebrate both the past year and the possibilities of the year to come, yet far too often poor decisions by teens result in tragic injuries and deaths," said Stephen Wallace, senior advisor for at Students Against Drunk Drivers, or SADD. "To avoid a fatal start to the New Year, teen passengers need to use their voices if they have concerns about their friends' behaviors. They will be heard."

Liberty Mutual and SADD say teens are less likely to drive drunk when parents lay down concrete ground rules.

"Prior to New Year's Eve, parents need to have a conversation with their teen drivers about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and fatigue as well as how to be a good driver and a good passenger," said Dave Melton, a driving safety expert with Liberty Mutual and managing director of global safety.

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