The stricter a state’s alcohol policy, the less likely motor vehicle accidents are to have caused fatalities among young persons, according to a review of 29 alcohol policies in 50 states and Washington DC. When investigators compiled the statistics on automobile deaths, they found the following:

• 84,756 motor vehicle deaths among persons aged ≤20 years, of which 23,757 (28%) were alcohol related.
• In states that had restrictive policies, there were fewer fatalities (adjusted odds ratio, 0.91).
• The link between stricter alcohol-related state laws and driving fatalities remained significant for both drivers and passenger deaths, males and females, and for children, teens, and young adults.