Drunk driving higher with friends' support

ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 28 (UPI) -- Social support and perceived risk are most closely linked to drinking and driving, a University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute study found.

The study in the April issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research finds drivers with friends who let them drive drunk were more likely to do it.

Lead author Raymond Bingham and his team also found drivers who believe there is little chance that they will experience the penalties of drinking and driving, such as arrest or license suspension, are more likely to drive under the influence.

"It's probably going to be worthwhile to try to change a person's network of friends, help them find friends who don't drink and drive, and avoid those who do," Bingham, an associate professor at the university, said in a statement. "It's probably harder than some interventions, but worth it."

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