***Traffic crashes are the greatest single cause of death for every age from five through twenty- seven. Almost half of these crashes are alcohol-related.***
Approximately 19.3% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes in 1995 were intoxicated at the time of their crash (21% in 1993).
In single-vehicle fatal crashes occurring on weekend nights in 1994, 72.3% of the fatally injured drivers 25 years old or older were intoxicated, as compared with 57.7% of drivers under the age of 25.
In 1995, 32% of all fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-related, compared to 54% on weekends. For all crashes, the alcohol involvement rate was 5% during the week and 11% during the weekend.
It is estimated that 2.6 million drunk driving crashes each year victimize 4 million innocent people who are injured or have their vehicles damaged.
In 1993, one in 100 drivers had a BAC of .10 or greater. About 16 billion miles were driven drunk.
In fatal crashes, the proportion of drivers who were intoxicated (blood alcohol content of .10 or greater) decreased from 25.7% in 1985 to 19.3% in 1995, a 25% decrease in that proportion.
The number of intoxicated drivers killed in traffic crashes decreased from 9,805 in 1985 to 7,538 in 1995, a reduction of 20%.
Male drivers involved in fatal crashes were nearly twice as likely to have been intoxicated (21.8%) than were females (11.2%).
Men are four times more likely than women to drive after drinking.
In 1995, there were 11,723 fatally injured drivers in single vehicle crashes. About 46.7% were intoxicated.
The highest intoxication rates in fatal crashes in 1995 were recorded for drivers 21-24 years old (27.8%), followed by ages 25-34 (26.8%) and 35-44 (22.8%).
Nearly a third of males (31%) drove after drinking in the past year, compared with only 13% of females.
Drivers age 21 to 29 drive the greatest proportion of their miles drunk.
More than 2,300 anti-drunk driving laws have been passed since 1980.
Drunk Driving Facts
