Delaying Licensure: Latino Teens Riding with Impaired Drivers and Impaired Driving

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7. PROJECT SUMMARY For U.S. Latinos, disparities exist in the areas of driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrests and fatal alcohol- related motor vehicle crashes. This is evident despite research showing that Latinos do not drink and drive more often than their Non-Latino White counterparts. Further, Latinos are more likely to ride as passengers in private vehicles and are at a higher risk of riding with an alcohol/drug impaired driver (RWI). This risk is high among Latino teens and young adults. Their high RWI rates are a major public health concern as RWI is known as an antecedent and strong predictor of future DWI. These findings prompt two critical questions, “How is it that Latino teens, despite driving less, and drinking and driving less than their Non-Latino White peers, are overrepresented in alcohol-related arrests and crashes as adults?” and “Can we develop interventions to stop such a risky development?” Understanding the pathways to RWI/DWI along the life course of adolescence into emerging adulthood would greatly inform the development of focused prevention policies and interventions. Currently, little is known about developmental pathways to RWI/DWI among Latinos teens. Adding to this void in knowledge are two recent salient secular trends that present a major challenge for youth; many teens are intentionally delaying driving licensure (DDL) until age 18 or later to avoid teen-driver safety restrictions required by state graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws (when 15-17 y/o can drive only with adult supervision and/or under restrictions for passengers/nighttime driving) and Latinos in early/mid-adolescence now have a higher prevalence of alcohol and drug use than their peers of other racial and ethnic groups. For those 18 y/o inexperienced drivers who DDL, they have greater risk of serious and fatal crash involvement, particularly if they choose to use alcohol and/or drugs. There is concern this problem is particularly severe among Latinos, a group with a relatively elevated number of 18 y/o with little or no driving experience. This fact coupled with the noted increased prevalence of alcohol and drug use in Latino teens further emphasizes the importance and need of our proposed research as it relates to disparities in DDL, RWI, DWI, and alcohol-related fatal crashes. Our ultimate long-term research goal is to develop interventions to address this disparate source of health risk. To do so, we first propose a robust analysis of very recent adolescent health data that will guide the initial steps toward advancing the understanding of the relationships between DDL/GDL/RWI/DWI and thoroughly informing a succeeding R01 application focused on design and implementation of an effective theory-driven multilevel intervention program. Using national longitudinal adolescent health and fatal crash data, we will examine individual, family, and social factors that may be contributing to DDL in Latino teens. Also, we will examine relationships between DDL and GDL and episodes of RWI/DWI as well as fatal crashes. Successful completion of the proposed aims will provide pivotal epidemiological evidence to inform effective interventions that will save lives and eliminate related health disparities.