No stigma button - NCADD
    The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.
Facts and Information
What's New Affiliates Communications Contribute Facts History Links News Press Room Programs Publications Site Map NCADD Home

FYI: IMPAIRED DRIVING


Overview

  • Motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for persons ages 1-34 (1994). (National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 1993. 1994.)

  • 38% (15,794) of U.S. traffic fatalities in 1999 were alcohol-related; on average, drinking and driving killed a human being every 31 minutes (US Department of Transportation, 4/3/00 press release).

  • About 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives (NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, 1996)

  • During 1990, the economic impact of alcohol-related crashes was $46.1 billion, including $5.1 billion in medical expenses; this represents approximately 33% of all economic costs attributed to motor-vehicle crashes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention {CDC}, Prevention of Motor Vehicle-Related Injuries, 1997, p. 66).

  • In general, holiday periods are characterized by an increased rate of traffic fatalities and a higher proportion of deaths involving impaired driving; the increase may be related, in part, to higher rates of travel--especially at times of greatest risk (e.g., nighttime and weekends, when drivers are most likely to be drinking) (Ibid., pp. 92-93).

  • Approximately 1.4 million drivers were arrested in 1995 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics (NHTSA, Traffice Safety Facts, op. cit.).

  • Persons arrested for driving while impaired (DWI) are at substantially greater risk for future death in a motor-vehicle crash involving alcohol than those who have not been arrested for DWI, and this risk increases directly in relation to the number of DWI arrests (CDC, "Drivers with Repeat Convictions or Arrests for DWI--United States," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report {MMWR}, Vol. 43, No. 41, 10/21/94, p. 759).

  • Of convicted DWI offenders, 61% reported drinking beer only, while 2% reported drinking wine only, 18% liquor only and 20% had been drinking more than one type of alcoholic beverage (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Drunk Driving, 9/92, p. 2).

  • Studies have found that marijuana severely impairs driving ability by affecting drivers' perceptual motor functions (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Prevention Resource Guide: Impaired Driving, 10/91, p. 1).

  • In one study of reckless drivers, over half who were not intoxicated with alcohol were found to be impaired with cocaine and/or marijuana (D Brookoff, et. al., "Testing Reckless Drivers for Cocaine and Marijuana," New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 331, No. 8, 8/25/94, p. 518).

  • To prevent injuries and deaths in alcohol-related crashes, additional and stronger state legislation (e.g., mandatory substance abuse assessment and treatment) should be directed toward persons arrested for or convicted of DWI (CDC, "Drivers with Repeat Convictions or Arrests for DWI--United States," MMWR, Vol. 43, No. 41, 10/21/94).


    Blood Alcohol Content

  • The proportion of alcohol to blood in the body is expressed as the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). In the field of traffic safety, BAC is expressed as the percentage of alcohol in deciliters of blood--for example, .10% (i.e., 0.10 grams per deciliter) (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism {NIAAA}, "Drinking and Driving," Alcohol Alert No. 31, 1/96, p. 1).

  • Compared with drivers who have not consumed alcohol, the risk of a single-vehicle fatal crash for drivers with BACs between .02% and .04% is estimated to be 1.4 times higher; for those with BACs between .05% and .09%, 11.1 times higher; for drivers with BACs between .10% and .14%, 48 times higher and for those with BACs at or above .15%, the risk is estimated to be 380 times higher (i.e., 0.10 grams per deciliter) (Ibid.).

  • Fatally injured drivers with BAC levels of .10 or greater were 7 times as likely to have a prior conviction for DWI compared to fatally injured sober drivers (NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, op.cit.).

  • The implementation of .08% BAC laws and other associated activities (such as public information campaigns drawing attention to the change) are associated with reductions in fatal crash driver alcohol involvement (NHTSA, "A Preliminary Assessment of the Impact of Lowering the Illegal BAC Per Se Limit to 0.08 in Five States," 12/94, p. 7).


    Youth

  • Alcohol-related traffic fatalities remain a leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults (CDC, Prevention of Motor Vehicle-Related Injuries, op.cit., p. 150).

  • From 1995 to 1996, alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth ages 20 or younger increased by almost 3%, from 2,807 to 2,882; among youth ages 15-20 with BAC levels of .10% or greater, the increase was nearly 10%, from 1,473 to 1,617 (CDC, "Alcohol Involvement in Fatal Motor-Vehicle Crashes--United States, 1995-1996, MMWR, Vol. 46, No. 48, 12/5/97, p. 1155).

  • Although alcohol use increases the risk for motor-vehicle crashes for all drivers, for young drivers the risk begins to increase at very low BACs; in addition, in young persons who drive after drinking, the relative risk for crash involvement is greater at all BACs than for older drivers who drink (CDC, Prevention of Motor Vehicle-Related Injuries, op.cit., p. 140).

  • The prevalence of drinking and driving increases substantially among youth and young adults with the frequency of alcohol use and is strongly associated with binge drinking (Ibid., p. 141).

  • In 1996, drivers ages 21-24 had the highest intoxication rates (27%) in fatal crashes, followed by ages 25-34 (26.2%) and 35-44 (21.9%) (NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, op.cit.).

  • Minimum drinking age laws are estimated to have reduced traffic fatalities involving drivers 18-20 by 13% and have saved an estimated 16,513 lives since 1975 (NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, op.cit.).


    Trends

  • From 1986 to 1996, intoxication rates decreased for drivers of all age groups; drivers 16-20 experienced the largest decrease (41%), followed by drivers 21-24 (25%) (NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, op.cit.).

  • Factors that may have contributed to the decline in both impaired driving and total alcohol-related traffic fatalities among young persons include prompt license suspension for persons who drive while impaired; increasing the minimum drinking age (since 1988, the minimum drinking age has been 21 in all states); and the initiation of public education, community awareness and media campaigns about the dangers of alcohol-involved driving (CDC, "Update: Alcohol-Related Traffic Crashes and Fatalities Among Youth and Young Adults--United States, 1982-1994, MMWR, Vol. 44, No. 47, 12/1/95, p. 874).

  • From 1977 to 1994, the number of male drivers involved in alcohol-related fatal traffic crashes decreased 25%; for females there was a 12% increase (NIAAA, "Trends in Alcohol-Related Fatal Traffic Crashes, United States, 1977-94, 12/96, p. 1); possible explanations include changing roles for women, increased social acceptability of women as both drinkers and drivers and increased exposure for women during times of high risk as well as an emphasis on males in impaired driving prevention and intervention programs (e.g., nighttime and weekends)(CDC, Prevention of Motor Vehicle-Related Injuries, op.cit., p. 114).

Revised 4/2000

NCADD logo - National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
 National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022
phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510
email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org
HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)