last year, up from 40.8 percent in 1994, and 52.2 percent in 1986 (McGraw, 1996, p. 1).
Recent surveys show that Americans have become more critical of drunk driving in a relatively short span of time. Fewer drivers now admit to driving under the influence of alcohol, according to a 1995 Insurance Research Council (IRC) poll. In face-to-face interviews, 21 percent of licensed drivers admitted that they had driven in the past year after drinking. A year ago, 24 percent admitted that they had driven after drinking; in 1985, 37 percent admitted to this behavior. Male respondents were more than twice as likely as females to admit that they had driven after drinking. Twenty-six percent of males admitted this in 1995, compared with only 12 percent of the females. The poll also found that 76 percent of respondents favored "zero tolerance" laws, that have blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .00 for under-21 drivers. Parents of teen-agers were especially supportive of these laws--82 percent of respondents with 13-17 year olds said the idea was excell
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