Learn the Facts

Learn more about drunk driving and underage drinking

For nearly two decades, The Century Council has been monitoring research and statistics on drunk driving and underage drinking and has marked measurable progress in the fight against both.

Since 1982, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities on our nation's roadways have decreased 38% and among youth under 21 these fatalities have decreased 65%. In addition to tracking national drunk driving statistics, we have conducted proprietary research that is routinely used to convey the magnitude of the hardcore drunk driving problem and highlight effective strategies and tactics aimed at reducing the carnage caused by these drivers on our roadways.

Though progress is being made, underage drinking remains a persistent problem among youth. According to the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 10.7 million Americans between ages 12-20 report current alcohol consumption; this represents nearly 28% of this age group for whom alcohol use is illegal. Among 12-20 year olds, reported rates of past month consumption have remained relatively unchanged since 2002. We keep up-to-date on the trends in underage drinking and survey both youth and adults to better understand the attitudes and perceptions concerning this issue. These data, in turn, become the foundation of program development efforts designed to fight underage drinking.