The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Young drivers often do not realize the consequences of drinking alcohol or ingesting any other drugs, whether legal or not, and driving a motor vehicle while their physical capabilities to drive safely are impaired by those substances.

(b) Young drivers who use alcohol or other drugs are likely to become dependent on those substances and prompt intervention is needed to protect other persons, as well as the young driver, from death or serious injury.

(c) The conviction of a young driver for driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, a drug, or both, identifies that person as a risk to the health and safety of others, as well as that young driver, because of the young driver’s inability to control his or her conduct.

(d) It has been demonstrated that close observation of the effects on others of alcohol and other drugs, both chronic and acute, by a young driver convicted of driving under the influence has a marked effect on recidivism and should therefore be encouraged by the courts, prehospital emergency medical care personnel, and other officials charged with cleaning up the carnage and wreckage caused by drunk drivers.

(e) The program prescribed in this article provides guidelines for the operation of an intensive program to discourage recidivism by convicted young drunk drivers.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 118, Sec. 84. Effective January 1, 1999. Section operative July 1, 1999, pursuant to Section 23675.)