Drunk Driving Research
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 37,261 people died in traffic crashes in 2008 in the United States (latest figures available), including an estimated 11,773 people who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Drunk driving fatalities accounted for 32% of all traffic deaths last year, that is, on average someone is killed in an alcohol-impaired driving crash every 45 minutes in the U.S. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2009)
Since NHTSA began recording alcohol-related statistics in 1982, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have decreased 44% from 21,113 in 1982. Since the inception of The Century Council and our national efforts to fight drunk driving, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have declined 26% from 15,827 in 1991. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2009)
The rate of alcohol-impaired fatalities per 100,000 population is the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities for every 100,000 persons in the population being measured. In 2008, about four people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities for every 100,000 Americans. Since 1998, the rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in the U.S. has decreased 17%. Between 1991 and 2008, the rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population decreased 38% nationally. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2009)
Download and share our 2008 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America summary. -
Since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began recording alcohol-related statistics in 1982, among persons under 21, the number killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes decreased 71% from the record high of 5,215 in 1982 to a record low 1,510 in 2008. (View the Under 21 Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities chart) These fatalities account for 13% of the alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in the U.S. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2009)
Among those under 21, about two young people are killed in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities for every 100,000 American under the age of 21. The rate of under 21 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population has declined 33% over the past decade. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2009)
Despite declines in the number of young people involved in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, 4 people under the age of 21 die each day in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2009)
Download and share our 2008 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America summary.
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Hardcore drunk drivers, those who drive at high BAC's (0.15 or above), do so repeatedly as demonstrated by having more than one drunk driving arrest, and are highly resistant to changing their behavior despite previous sanctions, treatment or education, continue to account for a disproportionate share of alcohol-related traffic fatalities each year. In 2008, 68% of drivers involved in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities had a a BAC level of .15 or higher – a trend that has remained relatively unchanged for more than a decade. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2009) Three percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2008 had a prior DWI conviction within the past three years. Furthermore, 44% of drivers involved in a fatal crash with a prior DWI conviction in the past three years had a BAC level of 0.15 or higher. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2009)
The median BAC level remains twice the legal limit at 0.16, and drivers with a BAC level of .15 or higher in fatal crashes were nine times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired than drivers with no alcohol. (Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts "Alcohol-Impaired Driving," 2008) Compared with drivers who have not consumed alcohol, drivers with BACs of .15 or above are 380 times more likely to be involved in a single-vehicle fatal crash than a non-drinking driver. (Source: Zador, P.L. Alcohol related relative risk of fatal driver injuries in relation to driver age and sex. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 52(4):302-310, 1991.) Download and share our 2007 report, Stopping Hardcore Drunk Driving: Offenders' Perspective on Deterrence.
All of these national statistics and others are positive indicators of the gains being made to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, drunk driving, and while we cannot claim to be the sole influence in these reductions, it is likely we have played a significant role.
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 13.2 million licensed drivers between 15 and 20 years of age in the United States in 2007 (latest available data), an increase of nearly five percent in the number of young drivers over the past 10 years. Unfortunately, motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year olds. (Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts “Young Drivers,” 2009)
In 2008, 12 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were young drivers age 15 to 20 years old. More specifically, 5,864 15- to 20-year old drivers were involved in fatal crashes, including 2,739 driver fatalities. Among 15- to 20-year old drivers involved in fatal crashes, 31% of the drivers who were killed had been drinking and 25% who were killed in crashes had a BAC of .08 or higher. Furthermore, nearly two percent of these young drivers involved in a fatal crash had a previous DWI conviction. (Source: NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts “Young Drivers,” 2009)
