Updated November 8, 2026. Requirements and sources were reviewed as of this update. This article originally marked National Teen Driver Safety Week in October 2023. It has been rewritten to rely on the official announcements from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and to correct an earlier description that implied ServeTrain was a partner in the agencies’ campaign. It was not.
A week focused on young drivers
National Teen Driver Safety Week ran from October 15 to 21 in 2023. On October 13, 2023, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), in partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), issued an announcement reminding young drivers to focus on the road and encouraging California parents to talk with their teenagers about safe driving, including the importance of driving sober.
ABC’s announcement identified the greatest dangers for teen drivers as alcohol consumption, not wearing a seat belt, distracted driving, speeding, and driving with passengers. “ABC encourages parents to talk to their children about the dangers of driving impaired,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “Underage drinking causes a disproportionate amount of drunk driving deaths every year.”
NHTSA issued its own consumer alert on October 16, 2023, urging parents to model safe driving and to talk with teens about drugs and alcohol, distraction, passengers, speed, and seat belts.
What the numbers showed
The 2023 announcements drew on the most recent national data available at the time, from 2021. They are summarized here with the source each figure came from:
- ABC, citing NHTSA, reported that 2,116 young drivers died in traffic crashes in 2021, an 11 percent increase from 2020.
- ABC reported that nationally in 2021, 27 percent of young drivers involved in fatal crashes had alcohol in their system, and 84 percent of those exceeded a 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration. ABC added that the number of teen drivers involved in fatal crashes with alcohol in their system had nearly doubled since 2017, according to NHTSA figures.
- NHTSA reported that speeding was a factor in 32 percent of fatal crashes involving teen drivers in 2021, and that 51 percent of teen drivers killed in crashes were unbuckled.
- ABC, citing the California Highway Patrol, said traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teens 16 to 19, and that a teen driver was determined to be at fault in approximately 66 percent of the crashes it described.
Different agencies describe age groups and measures in slightly different ways, so the figures above should be read with their sources. Newer data may have been published since 2023; check NHTSA and OTS for current statistics.
Five rules ABC highlighted for parents
ABC’s announcement listed five basic rules to help reduce risks for teen drivers:
- Passengers. ABC noted that the likelihood of teen drivers engaging in risky behavior triples when traveling with multiple passengers.
- Speed limits. Speeding is a critical issue for all drivers, especially teens.
- Distracted driving. ABC reminded families that drivers under 18 in California are not allowed to use a phone for any reason while driving, including hands-free.
- Seat belts. Buckling up is one of the simplest ways for teens to stay safe.
- Impaired driving. All teens are too young to legally buy, possess, or consume alcohol.
Why young drivers face higher risks
The agencies’ messages focused on a combination of factors. Young drivers have less experience recognizing and reacting to hazards. Passengers and phones compete for their attention. Speeding and skipping seat belts make crashes more likely to be deadly. Alcohol makes every one of those risks worse, and because drinking is illegal for anyone under 21, young people who drink may also hide it rather than ask for a ride. Removing easy access to alcohol is one of the few parts of this picture that businesses can directly control.
Why this matters to people who sell and serve alcohol
Teen driver safety campaigns are aimed mostly at parents, but alcohol licensees play a direct role. Every underage drinking and driving crash starts with alcohol that came from somewhere. In many cases, it was purchased from a store, served at a bar or restaurant, or bought by an adult for a minor.
California law is clear. Business and Professions Code section 25658, available on the Legislature’s official code website, prohibits selling or furnishing alcohol to anyone under 21. ABC’s disciplinary guidelines set a standard 15-day suspension for a licensee’s first sale to a minor, 25 days for a second within 36 months, and revocation for a third within 36 months.
When underage drinking leads to a serious crash, ABC may investigate where the alcohol came from through its Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies (TRACE) program. Our guide to ABC’s TRACE program explains how those investigations work, and our case study of a Vista liquor store suspension shows how one unchecked sale contributed to a fatal crash involving young people.
Enforcement programs aimed at youth access
ABC uses several programs to reduce youth access to alcohol, many funded through OTS grants. ABC’s underage drinking enforcement pages describe these programs. Two are especially relevant to licensees:
- Minor Decoy operations, in which a person under 21, supervised by law enforcement, attempts to buy alcohol at licensed businesses.
- Shoulder Tap operations, in which a minor decoy asks adults outside stores to buy alcohol for them, targeting adults who furnish alcohol to minors.
In November 2023, ABC announced a grant from OTS supporting these and other programs. Our article on that grant explains what it funded.
How a decoy operation looks from behind the counter
Licensees are often surprised by how ordinary a decoy operation feels. As the City of Corona described in announcing its 2023 ABC grant, Minor Decoy and Shoulder Tap programs each involve a minor working under the supervision of a peace officer. The decoy goes to an ABC-licensed business and attempts to buy alcohol from a clerk or receive it from a patron. If a clerk or patron furnishes alcohol to the minor, the city noted, they can be cited or arrested and face fines and community service.
There is usually nothing unusual about the customer. A decoy may look young, act casually, and present a real ID showing they are under 21, or present no ID at all. The only protection is a consistent habit of asking for identification, reading the date of birth carefully, and refusing the sale when the customer is under 21. Businesses that pass compliance checks are typically the ones where every employee follows the same routine, no matter how busy the shift.
Planning for prom, graduation, and holiday seasons
Certain times of year bring more young people into contact with alcohol. Proms, graduations, homecoming games, spring break, and summer parties are moments when teens may try to buy alcohol or ask adults to buy it for them. Holiday periods also bring more drinking and driving across all age groups, which is why ABC’s grant-funded programs include enforcement during holidays.
Before those seasons, managers can hold a short refresher on ID checks and third-party purchases, review staffing so registers and doors are never left unattended, and post reminders near points of sale. Stores near schools and colleges may want to pay particular attention. Bars and restaurants hosting graduation parties or private events should confirm how they will separate guests under 21 from alcohol service, and assign a specific person to watch for underage drinking.
What licensees can do
Check IDs consistently
A simple, consistent rule works best. ABC’s Model House Policies suggest requesting ID from anyone who appears 30 or younger. Our guide to checking IDs in California covers inspection techniques.
Watch for third-party purchases
Staff at stores and bars should watch for adults who appear to be buying for younger people waiting nearby, and refuse those sales.
Pay attention around school events
Homecoming, prom, graduation, and sports seasons can bring more attempts by minors to buy alcohol. Remind staff before those periods and consider extra supervision.
Train everyone who sells or serves
On-premises alcohol servers and their managers in California must hold Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) certification, a requirement in effect since July 1, 2022, as ABC’s RBS page explains. Off-sale businesses can use ABC’s free LEAD training.
Support safe rides
For adult guests, offer help arranging a ride when someone should not drive, and promote designated driver programs.
Conversations that make a difference
ABC and NHTSA both emphasized that parents can be the biggest influence on teens’ driving habits. People who work in hospitality are often parents, older siblings, coaches, and neighbors too. NHTSA’s alert encouraged parents to be good role models, to practice driving with teens, and to empower teens to speak up when a driver is unsafe. Those conversations, combined with responsible sales practices, help keep alcohol away from young drivers.
A role for the whole community
Safe teen driving depends on many people: parents setting rules, schools teaching driver education, law enforcement enforcing laws, and businesses refusing to sell alcohol to minors. Hospitality workers sit at a key point in that chain. A clerk who asks for ID, a server who refuses a drink to a guest under 21, and a manager who backs them up all help reduce the chance that a young driver gets behind the wheel after drinking.
Frequently asked questions
When is National Teen Driver Safety Week? It is held each October. In 2023, it ran from October 15 to 21. Check NHTSA for current dates.
Is it illegal for teens under 18 to use a phone while driving in California? ABC’s announcement stated that drivers under 18 are not allowed to use a phone for any reason while driving, including hands-free.
What happens if a business sells alcohol to a minor decoy? The clerk or server may be cited, and the licensee may face administrative discipline under ABC’s guidelines.
Where can families find teen driving resources? NHTSA and the California Office of Traffic Safety publish guidance for parents, including conversation starters and parent-teen driving agreements. Families can review those materials together before a teen gets a license and revisit them as driving privileges expand.
The bottom line
National Teen Driver Safety Week is a reminder that underage drinking and driving remains deadly. For California licensees, the contribution is concrete: check IDs, refuse sales to minors and to adults buying for them, and train every employee who sells or serves alcohol.
Help keep alcohol away from young drivers
Every responsible sale starts with an ID check. ServeTrain’s RBS course helps California servers and managers prepare for ABC’s certification exam. Before enrolling, register or log in to your RBS Portal account with ABC and confirm your chosen course appears in the portal’s training provider search.
Sources
- California ABC, ABC Announces National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 13, 2023)
- NHTSA, 2023 Teen Driver Safety Week press release (Oct. 16, 2023)
- California Legislature, Business and Professions Code, Division 9, Chapter 16, Article 3
- California ABC, Penalty Guidelines
- California ABC, Underage Drinking Enforcement
- City of Corona, Corona Police Department Receives Grant to Fight Alcohol-Related Harm (Oct. 31, 2023)
- California ABC, Model House Policies
- California ABC, Responsible Beverage Service Training Program
- California ABC, LEAD Training
This article is general information, not legal advice.
