Designated Drivers Often Drink

A new study suggests that many designated drivers do not themselves refrain from drinking, creating an obvious barrier to the campaign’s effectiveness.

Researchers interviewed and did breath tests on more than 1,000 people — including 165 who identified themselves as designated drivers — as they left bars in a Florida city.

The tests were conducted six times over a three-month period, and the results were not encouraging. Only 65 percent of the designated drivers showed no blood alcohol content, 17 percent registered 0.02 percent to 0.049 percent, and 18 percent measured 0.05 percent or higher.

Finish reading this article in The New York Times.