Monitoring parent concerns about teenage drinking and driving: a random digit dial telephone survey.

A random telephone survey was conducted in a suburban community in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to assess the perceptions of parents about teenage drinking and driving. A total of 807 completed interviews were conducted. The results indicated that while most parents viewed teen drinking (69%) and drinking and driving (65%) to be a prevalent, relatively few seem to be engaging in behaviors likely to influence this. Thirty-two percent said they never discuss drinking and driving with their children, and over 65% said they never talk to other parents about how to talk to their children about drinking and driving, nor have any interest in doing so. Although slightly more than half said they had family policies concerning drinking, less than 20% said there were penalties for violating these policies. Over 70% expressed their willingness to watch a special show on TV about how parents can talk to their children about alcohol. Parents of teenagers appear to be far more likely to think that their teen's friends drink and drive (36%) than they are to think that their teen drinks and drives (10%). The results of this survey indicate a significant lack of parental awareness of teen drinking and a denial of their own teen's involvement in it.