CDC: Sharp dip in fatal alcohol-related crashes among teen drivers

ATLANTA - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says alcohol-related deaths involving drivers too young to legally drink dropped by more than half over the last two decades. <br> <br> The CDC said Thursday that among all age groups, between 1982 and 2001, fatal driving-under-the-influence crashes dropped by 46 percent. <br> <br> The sharpest drop was among 16 and 17 year olds, who saw a 60 percent decrease in the rate of DUI-related crash deaths. Drivers aged 18 to 20 saw a 55 percent drop within the study&#39;s time period. <br> <br> Those above the legal drinking age saw a slightly smaller drop: drivers 21 to 24 years old had a 41 percent decrease and those 25 years old or older saw a 39 percent decrease in the rate of fatal DUI crashes. <br> <br> The CDC credited strict laws against DUI&#39;s and community education campaigns and shifts in social norms about alcohol consumption and driving as main reasons for the drop. <br> <br> Alcohol-related crashes caused 17,448 deaths last year.