Alcohol-related traffic deaths down 31%
over past 12 years

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drunk driving-related deaths have dropped 31% since 1982. During that year, 25,165 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents in the United States. At that time, 57 percent of all traffic fatalities were linked to alcohol use. By 1993, the number of deaths had fallen to 17,461 and alcohol was a factor in only 44 percent of traffic fatalities.

A CDC official said these numbers show that "substantial progress" has been made in the fight against drunk driving. The agency listed several factors which contributed to the dramatic decline in drunk driving deaths. These factors included an increase in the legal drinking age, improved law enforcement, and increased public awareness of the problems associated with drinking and driving.

During the 1980s, the minimum legal drinking age in many states was 18. However, drunk driving rates among young people (age 18 to 24) were especially high. Therefore, the federal government urged states to raise their drinking ages. All fifty states now have a legal drinking age of 21.

This strategy appears to have been effective. The number of under-21 drivers killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents dropped by more than 40% between 1982 and 1993. Also, the number of under-21 drivers arrested for DWI (driving while intoxicated) plunged during that time.

The problem of drinking and driving is still worst among young people, however. More than half of all impaired drivers killed in a crash are under age 30. In addition, the DWI arrest rate is highest among drivers age 18-29.

Research has shown that alcohol affects driving skills in many different ways. Drinking distorts a driver's vision and affects his or her judgment. Not surprisingly, studies have shown that drivers who have been drinking are far more likely to have an accident than sober drivers.

Law enforcement officials determine if a driver is intoxicated by measuring his or her blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). A blood-alcohol concentration of .10 percent means there are 100 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. For example, a 160-pound man would reach a BAC of .10 percent if he drank about five drinks within one hour on an empty stomach. (A drink is defined as one-and-a-half ounces of liquor, a 12-ounce beer or a five-ounce glass of wine.)

In most states, a driver is considered intoxicated if his or her BAC is .10 percent. However, California, Florida and at least eight other states have tougher laws. In those states, drivers with a BAC of .08 percent are declared legally intoxicated.

Persons arrested for driving while intoxicated face a range of penalties. In most cases, the driver's license is suspended for some amount of time. Some drunk drivers are required to perform community service work or even spend time in jail. In fact, some states mandate a jail sentence after a DWI conviction, even if it is a first offense.

In addition to stepped up law enforcement and tougher punishments, many communities have organized citizen groups to fight drunk driving. One of the largest of these groups is Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Groups such as MADD have been credited with raising public awareness of the problems that drunk driving can cause. Because of this new awareness, there is now more social pressure against drinking and driving.

Beckie Brown, national president of MADD, said she is "very encouraged" that her group has been effective. Brown adds: "MADD proved that (we) can...change the direction that a whole country is headed."

• If you have been drinking, do not drive. Take a taxi home, or call a friend or relative.
• If you see someone who is too drunk to drive, don't let them.
• If you are celebrating in a group, select a designated driver at the beginning of the evening. This is a person who agrees not to drink any alcohol. At the end of the evening, the designated driver makes sure each person in the group gets home safely.

Related Topics

Prevention Primer: Blood Alcohol Concentration

Alcohol & Drug Abuse Internet Resources

Prevention Primer: College and University Students

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