Trends in Alcohol-involved Crashes Among Young California Drivers Before, During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: To examine changes in alcohol-involved traffic crash rates among young drivers in California during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of alcohol-involved crashes among drivers aged 15–24 using data from the University of California, Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System (2016–2024). The primary exposure was COVID-19 policy period (pre-, during-, and post-pandemic). Annual crash rates per 100,000 population were calculated, and Quasi-Poisson regression models estimated rate ratios (RRs) comparing COVID-19 periods, stratified by county, age, and sex, with subgroup interactions.
Results: Of 56,019 crashes analyzed, 68.7% involved males and 58.5% Hispanic drivers. Alcohol-involved crash rates rose 19.98% after COVID onset, then declined to 114.63 per 100,000 in 2024 from 126.24 in 2016. Post-COVID rates were significantly higher among Hispanic youth (RR = 1.29; 95% confidence interval: 1.21–1.37), with the largest increase between ages 20 and 21.
Conclusions: Alcohol-involved crashes among young drivers initially rose after COVID-19 and later steadily declined. However, Hispanic youth experienced a sustained rise compared to pre-COVID levels, indicating the need for ongoing monitoring and focused interventions.