Drinking, driving, and your teen

As any parent will tell you, teens sometimes make bad decisions — that’s part of growing up. Add a motor vehicle and alcohol to the equation, though, and a bad decision can quickly become deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2022 almost a third of teen driver fatalities involved underage drinking.

How to discourage underage drinking and driving

Be an involved parent. Assume that, at some point, your child is going to be confronted with a situation in which alcohol is involved. To head off trouble, you need to be willing to have that uncomfortable — and probably unwelcome — conversation about that moment. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) offers this guideline: 

• Establish open communication. Make it easy for your teen to talk honestly with you.
• Show you care. Even though young teens may not always show it, they still need to know that they are important to their parents. Make it a point to regularly spend one-on-one time with your teen — time when you can give them your loving, undivided attention. Some activities to share: a walk, a bike ride, a quiet dinner out, or a cookie-baking session.
• Draw the line. Set clear, realistic expectations for your child’s behavior. Establish appropriate consequences for breaking rules and consistently enforce them.
• Offer acceptance. Make sure your teen knows that you appreciate their efforts as well as accomplishments. Avoid hurtful teasing or criticism.
• Understand that your child is growing up. This doesn’t mean a hands-off attitude. But as you guide your child’s behavior, aalso try to respect their growing need for independence and privacy.
• Lead by example.Teens have finely tuned radar for hypocrisy, so you need to be sure you’re not engaging in risky behavior yourself. Never, ever get behind the wheel if you’ve been drinking, even if it was only one drink, and even if you think you’re “fine.” 

Make sure your teen knows they can pick up the phone and call you for insight, advice, or a ride and that they know they won’t be punished for calling for help. It can help them make better decisions down the road if they know they won’t be punished for reaching out.

For more tips, as well as information and resources, follow this link to NIAAA’s brochure, Make A Difference: Talk to Your Child About Alcohol.

The information included here was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, SI, and its employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with any training, materials, suggestions, or information provided. It is the user’s responsibility to confirm compliance with any applicable local, state, or federal regulations. Information obtained from or via Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, SI, should not be used as the basis for legal advice and should be confirmed with alternative sources. 

Updated 3/2025