Is ‘Drunk, Driving, and 17’ on Lifetime Based on a True Story?

Lifetime brings you new movies every week, and they’re movies with a message. The network’s famous Ripped from the Headlines series takes true stories and uses them as a jumping off point to raise awareness for some of today’s most pressing problems, or they just lay the facts out and let you take it all in.

This week’s movie is Drunk, Driving, and 17. Savannah Lee Smith (Gossip Girl) stars as an honor roll student whose entire life is ruined because she lost control at a party and then lost control behind the wheel. The situation is just as dire for her mother, played by ER and Dynasty alum Michael Michele. As the adult hosting a party filled with underage drinkers, mom is poised to get in just as much trouble as her kid.

While it’s no surprise that teenagers find ways around the legal drinking age, there are a few harrowing surprises to be found in Drunk, Driving, and 17. Is it true that the host of a party will find themselves in trouble should their guests drink and drive? How true-to-life is Drunk, Driving, and 17? And whose story is it based on? Here’s what we know.

Is Drunk, Driving, and 17 based on a true story?

The answer to this question is found in the movie’s preview trailer: it’s not based on a true story so much as “inspired by actual stories.” What’s the difference? Well, “inspired by” is a much less strict version of “based on.” That means a lot more liberties can be taken with the story — or stories in this case. That, too, is a tell. Instead of pulling from one story of one 17 year old and dramatizing it, Drunk, Driving, and 17 has pulled many different details from many different stories. So, while Drunk, Driving, and 17 is based on true concepts, you’re probably not going to find one newspaper article that ticks off all of the movie’s plot points.

That doesn’t mean that the movie isn’t based in some fact. Drunk, Driving, and 17 is associated with the non-profit Mothers Against Drunk Driving (or MADD). Formed in 1980 by Candace Lightner after her daughter Carime was killed by a drunk driver, MADD strives to spread information about drunk driving, help those whose lives have been impacted by impaired driving, and put a stop to drunk driving for good. According to statistics compiled by MADD, teen alcohol use kills 4,300 people every year, and 1 in 4 teen car crashes involves alcohol.

The host liability laws that you see in the movie are also very real and in place in 43 states. While they vary from state to state, these laws tend to be in effect when a host does not have a liquor license. Hosting a get together with alcohol in a restaurant can, in some cases, absolve the host of liability since the establishment will have a liquor license. The next time you plan on having people over for a drink, you might want to check out the link above and make sure you’re not heading for trouble.

Drunk, Driving, and 17 premieres on Lifetime on April 15 at 8 p.m. ET.