Drinking and Driving Statistics

Recent Drinking and Driving Statistics Reveal Cost of Alcohol Abuse

An analysis of drinking and driving statistics reveals that age, gender, and other demographic factors can contribute to alcohol related accidents. Consider the following:

• Alcohol-related crashes kill every 22 minutes. One of every 50 drivers is drunk. This number increases to one out of 10 on weekend nights.
• According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, there are 105,000 annual alcohol-related deaths due to drunk drivers and related injuries or diseases.
• Alcohol-related accidents are the leading cause of deaths among young people.
• The damage caused by alcohol impaired drivers compares to a Boeing 747 with more than 500 passengers crashing every eight days killing everyone on board.
• Drunk drivers are responsible for 50% of highway fatalities.
• 65 people each day die on our highways due to alcohol.
• In 1988, 25,000 Americans were killed in auto accidents involving alcohol. More than 500,000 were injured.
• The incidence of intoxication (BAC of 0.08 g/dl or greater) for drivers in fatal crashes in 2003 was highest for motorcycle operators (29% ) and lowest for drivers of large trucks (1%). The incidence of intoxication for drivers of light trucks and passenger car drivers was the same (22%).
• About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash some time in their lives.
• In 2002, an estimated 17,419 people died in alcohol–related traffic crashes. An average of one every 30 minutes, about 41 percent of 42,815 annual traffic fatalities.
• Beer is the drink most commonly consumed by people stopped for alcohol-impaired driving or involved in alcohol-related crashes.
• The intoxication rate (.08+ BAC) for male drivers involved in fatal crashes was 25%, compared to 12% for female drivers.
• The rate of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is 61%, more than three times as high at night. For all accidents, alcohol factors in 16% of nighttime accidents, vs. 3% for days.

Statistical Data Sources

To learn more about the latest drinking and driving statistics, check out the following websites:

• Alcoholism Statistics.com
• National Center for Victims of Crime
• Alcoholics Victorious
• Trauma Foundation
• Institute of Alcohol Studies
• MADD
• Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice