Here's the scoop on Zero Tolerance Laws in the United States. This is important information for underage drivers, because just one wrong move could mean losing your driver's license for a long, long time. So, listen up!

You might even want to double check and make sure you get it all. When you get to the end of this section, take a look at the "What's Driving You?" Challenge, and see if you're up on all the facts.

The legal drinking age in the United States is 21. So wherever you live or visit in the U.S., it's illegal to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages if you're under 21. Zero tolerance laws are based on a simple concept: since it is illegal for persons under 21 to drink alcohol, it should also be illegal for them to drive with any alcohol in their system.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have established lower blood alcohol thresholds that are illegal per se for drivers younger than 21. Federal legislation enacted in 1995 that allows for the withholding of highway funds played a role in motivating states to pass such laws. In 1998 South Carolina became the 50th state to adopt a Zero Tolerance policy.

These new laws differ in both the maximum BAC (link to curric blurb: "B.A.C. refers to the "Blood Alcohol Concentration" level in your system. In most states, the legal limit for adults over 21 is .08.") they permit (.00, .01, or .02), and the penalties for non-compliance. In most states, drivers under 21 can lose their licenses for driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in their bodies simply because it is illegal for them to drink in the first place.

Even if your state's Zero Tolerance laws allow for a B.A.C. of .02, the average teenager reaches that level with just one drink. And all underage drinking drivers, no matter where they live, can expect to pay heavy fines, lose their license for an average of 6 months (possibly much longer) and will suffer severely restricted privileges or a total loss of license until age 21. In Illinois (where "What's Driving You?" is produced) they call it the "Use it and Lose it" Zero Tolerance law. For more information on Zero Tolerance in Illinois check out the article in the Reading Room.

Why is Zero Tolerance Necessary?
Research has shown that young impaired drivers are involved in fatal crashes at approximately twice the rate of adult drivers 21 and over.

Drivers age 16-20 have the highest risk of a being killed in a traffic crash of any age group (U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, 1998). In fact, in 1998, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death for this age group. 18-year-olds constituted the single year age group with the highest number of fatalities (U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA, In Press). In addition, some 22% of the drivers in the 16-20 year old age group's fatal crashes had a BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) of .01 or higher.

The final kicker: cops say it's pretty easy to spot inexperienced drivers - so they're already looking at you! Nice odds, huh?