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21 Minimum Drinking Age Effectiveness

In July 1984, Congress and President Ronald Reagan enacted legislation that set the national minimum legal drinking age to 21. MADD applauds the work of Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), as well as Congressman Michael D. Barnes (D-MD) and the late Representative James J. Howard (D-NJ), in passing the lifesaving 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA), which has helped show significant declines in fatalities on and off the road.


Read MADD's press release on the anniversary of the 21 MLDA.   

  • An estimated 25,000 lives have been saved by the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA).
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the 21 MLDA has reduced traffic fatalities involving drivers 18 to 20 years old by 13 percent and has saved an estimated 25,509 lives since 1975.
  • In 2006, an estimated 890 lives were saved by minimum drinking age laws.

President Ronald Reagan is surrounded by Congressional leaders and dignitaries as he signs the 21 Minimum Drinking Age Act It is interesting that so many people labor to discredit the 21 minimum drinking age law – one of the most studied and most proven public health measure ever taken. 

In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control looked at 49 high-quality peer-reviewed studies of the effects of changing the minimum drinking age law.  Almost every study found that increasing the minimum drinking age to 21 saved lives (an average decrease of 16 percent) and that lowering the minimum drinking age to 18 or 19 caused an average increase in crashes of eight to 10 percent.

Sign the pledge in support of the 21 minimum legal drinking age. The US General Accounting Office looked at similar data in 1987 of the states that passed 21 MLDA laws and found “raising the drinking age has a direct effect on reducing alcohol-related traffic accidents among youths affected by the laws, on average, across the states" and that "raising the drinking age also results in a decline in alcohol consumption and in driving after drinking for the age group affected by the law." (GAO 1987) These studies use different measures of crashes, fatalities and alcohol – some look at single-vehicle nighttime crashes as a strong proxy for drunk driving crashes, but all came up with the same conclusion – the 21 MLDA law saves lives.

The 21 minimum drinking age also helps those not directly effected by the law. 
NHTSA found that between 1982 and 1998, there were 61 percent fewer drinking drivers involved in fatal crashes under age 21 and a 56 percent decrease among 21-24 year olds. This is against a backdrop of a decrease of only 24 percent among 25-55 year olds. There were a number of safety improvements  during this time – better roads, better laws, safer cars, etc. – but because the people most directly affected by the law had the greatest decreases, NHTSA concluded “unequivocally that MLDA 21 laws reduce youth drinking and driving, as measured by traffic crash involvements.”

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism data shows a decrease in fatalities among 16-20 year olds with the 21 minimum drinking age.

The 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age saves lives.
Clearly, the 21 minimum drinking age law is having the intended effect of saving lives on the road way. NHTSA estimates about 900 lives are saved by the law per year. The next time someone argues otherwise, ask them what data they are looking at, because the 21 MLDA law is one of the most studied and most effective laws in public safety.

Youth drinking rates decline. 
Moreover, youth drinking rates have also declined since the 21 age law went into effect. The 2006 Monitoring the Future study shows declining alcohol consumption among American youth, although, alcohol consumption continues to be widespread among today's youth. A look at all of the research on the minimum drinking age from 1960 to 2000 found that the bulk of the evidence shows that 21 minimum drinking age laws decrease underage consumption of alcohol. (Wagenaar and Toomey, 2002) Even over the last 15 years, after the passage of the 21 minimum drinking age laws, the percentage of 8th, 10th and 12th graders who drank alcohol in the past year decreased 38 percent, 23 percent and 14 percent. (Monitoring the Future, 1991-2006)

Thus, we need to fix the law when it is weak and enforce it when it is not being enforced to increase its effectiveness, not undercut it.

Studies

  • Arnold R. Effect of raising the legal drinking age on driver involvement in fatal crashes: the experience of thirteen states. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1985. DOT HS 806 902.
  • Asch P, Levy DT. Does the minimum drinking age affect traffic fatalities? J Policy Anal Manage 1987;6:180–92.
  • Asch P, Levy DT. Young driver fatalities: the roles of drinking age and drinking experience. South Econ J 1990;57:512–20.
  • Bako G, Mackenzie WC, Smith ESO. The effect of legislated lowering of the drinking age on total highway accidents among young drivers in Alberta, 1970–1972. Can J Public Health 1976;67:161–3.
  • Brown DB, Maghsoodloo SA. A study of alcohol involvement in young driver accidents with the lowering of the legal age of drinking in Alabama. Accid Anal Prev 1981;13:319–22.
  • Chaloupka FJ, Saffer H, Grossman M. Alcohol control policies and motor vehicle fatalities. J Legal Stud 1993;22:161–86.
  • Colon I, Cutter HSG. The relationship of beer consumption and state alcohol and motor vehicle policies to fatal accidents. J Safety Res 1983;14: 84–9.
  • Colon I. The alcohol beverage purchase age and single-vehicle highway fatalities. J Safety Res 1984;15:159–62.
  • Cook PJ, Tauchen G. The effect of minimum drinking age legislation on youthful auto fatalities. J Legal Stud 1984;13:169–90.
  • Decker MD, Graitcer PL, Schaffner W. Reduction in motor vehicle fatalities associated with an increase in the minimum drinking age. JAMA 1988;260: 3604–10.
  • Dee TS. State alcohol policies, teen drinking and traffic fatalities. J Public Econ 1999;72:289–315.
  • DuMouchel W, Williams AF, Zador P. Raising the alcohol purchase age: its effects on fatal motor vehicle crashes in twenty-six states. J Legal Stud 1987;16:249–66.
  • Durant R, Legge JS. Policy design, social regulation and theory building: lessons from the traffic safety policy arena. Political Res Q 1993;46:641–56.
  • Ferreira J, Sickerman A. The impact of Massachusetts reduced drinking age on auto accidents. Accid Anal Prev 1976;8:229–39.
  • Figlio DN. Effect of drinking age laws and alcohol-related crashes: timeseries evidence from Wisconsin. J Policy Anal Manage 1995;14:555–66.
  • Hedlund, JH, R.G. Ulmer and D.F. Preusser. “Determine Why There are Fewer Young Alcohol-Impaired Drivers.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2001. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/research/FewerYoungDrivers/iii__what_happened.htm
  • Hingson R, Scotch N, Mangione T, et al. Impact of legislation raising the legal drinking age in Massachusetts from 18 to 20. Am J Public Health 1983;73:163–9.
  • Hoskin AF, Yalung Mathews D, Carraro BA. Effect of raising the legal minimum drinking age on fatal crashes in 10 states. J Safety Res 1986;17:117–21.
  • Houston DJ, Richardson LE, Neeley GW. Legislating traffic safety: a pooled time series analysis. Soc Sci Q 1995;76:328–45.
  • Houston DJ, Richardson LE, Neeley GW. Mandatory seat belt laws in the states: a study of fatal and severe occupant injuries. Eval Rev 1996;20:146–59.
  • Legge J Jr. Reforming highway safety in New York State: an evaluation of alternative policy interventions. Soc Sci Q 1990;71:373–82.
  • Legge JS Jr, Park J. Policies to reduce alcohol-impaired driving: evaluating elements of deterrence. Soc Sci Q 1994;75:594–606.
  • Lillis R, Williams T, Williford W. The impact of the 19-year-old drinking age in New York. Advances in Substance Abuse 1987;Suppl 1, Control Issues in Alcohol Abuse Prevention: Strategies for States and Communities:133–46.
  • Males M. Minimum purchase age for alcohol and young-driver fatal crashes: a long-term view. J Legal Stud 1986;15:181–211.
  • MacKinnon DP, Woodward JA. The impact of raising the minimum drinking age on driver fatalities. Int J Addict 1986;21:1331–8.
  • Naor EM, Nashold RD. Teenage driver fatalities following reduction in the legal drinking age. J Safety Res 1975;7:74–9.
  • O’Malley PM, Wagenaar AC. Effects of minimum drinking age laws on alcohol use, related behaviors and traffic crash involvement among American youth: 1976–1987. J Stud Alcohol 1991;52:478–91.
  • Robertson LS. Blood alcohol in fatally injured drivers and the minimum legal drinking age. J Health Polit Policy Law 1989;14:817–25.
  • Ruhm CJ. Alcohol policies and highway vehicle fatalities. J Health Econ 1996;15:435–54.
  • Saffer H, Chaloupka F. Breath testing and highway fatality rates. Appl Econ 1989;21:901–12.
  • Saffer H, Grossman M. Drinking age laws and highway mortality rates: cause and effect. Econ Inquiry 1987;25:403–17.
  • Saffer H, Grossman M. Beer taxes, the legal drinking age, and youth motor vehicle fatalities. J Legal Stud 1987;16:351–74.
  • Smith DI, Burvill PW. Effect on traffic safety of lowering the drinking age in three Australian states. J Drug Issues 1986;16:183–98.
  • Smith RA, Hingson RW, Morelock S, et al. Legislation raising the legal drinking age in Massachusetts from 18 to 20: effect on 16 and 17 year olds. J Stud Alcohol 1984;45:534–9.
  • United States General Accounting Office (1987). Drinking-Age Laws: An Evaluation Synthesis of Their Impact on Highway Safety. GAO/PEMD-87-10. Washington, DC: USGAO. 
  • Vingilis E, Smart RG. Effects of raising the legal drinking age in Ontario. Br J Addict 1981;76:415–25.
  • Wagenaar AC. Effects of an increase in the legal minimum drinking age. Public Health Policy 1981;2:206–24.
  • Wagenaar AC. Effects of the raised legal drinking age on motor vehicle accidents in Michigan. HSRI Res Rev 1981;11:1–8.
  • Wagenaar AC. Preventing highway crashes by raising the legal minimum age for drinking: the Michigan experience 6 years later. J Safety Res 1986;17:101–9.
  • Wagenaar AC. Raising the legal drinking age in Maine: impact on traffic accidents among young drivers. Int J Addict 1983;18:365–77.
  • Wagenaar AC, Maybee R. Legal minimum drinking age in Texas: effects of an increase from 18 to 19. J Safety Res 1986;17:165–78.
  • Wagenaar, A.C., Toomey, T.L. Effects of minimum drinking age laws: Review and analyses of the literature from 1960-2000. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Supp l14:206-225. 2002
  • Whitehead PC, Craig J, Langford N, MacArthur C, Stanton B, Ferrence RG. Collision behavior of young drivers: impact of the change in the age of majority. J Stud Alcohol 1975;36:1208–23.
  • Wilkinson JT. Reducing drunken driving: Which policies are most effective? South Econ J 1987;54:322–34.
  • Williams AF, Rich RF, Zador PL. The legal minimum drinking age and fatal motor vehicle crashes. J Legal Stud 1975;4:219–39.
  • Williams AF, Zador PL, Harris SS, Karpf RS. The effect of raising the legal minimum drinking age on involvement in fatal crashes. J Legal Stud 1983;12:169–79.
  • Womble K. Impact of minimum drinking age laws on fatal crash involvements: an update of the NHTSA analysis. J Traffic Safety Educ 1989;37:4–5.
  • Zylman R. Fatal crashes among Michigan youth following reduction of legal drinking age. Q J Stud Alcohol 1974;35:283–6.