This is the legal limit of intoxication in most states. The severity of a crash increases with alcohol involvement. In both the categories of drivers killed and drivers involved in fatal crashes, the numbers of drivers 15 to 20 years old who were intoxicated dropped by 48 percent between 1987 and 1997. In 1997, an estimated 846 lives were saved by minimum drinking age laws. For young drivers 15 to 20 years old, alcohol involvement is higher among males than among females.
Drivers are less likely to use restraints when they have been drinking.