Driving home the facts about Impaired Driving

DRIVING HOME THE FACTS — ABOUT IMPAIRED DRIVING

Impaired driving is an issue at the forefront of the public safety agenda, but has faded in visibility over the past few years. Public apathy and confusion over what constitutes impaired driving have contributed to the existing gap between the public perception that impaired driving is no longer a problem. The tragic reality is that thousands of lives are lost each year as a result of impaired driving.

Impaired driving costs millions of dollars each year in lost time, lost property and lost lives.

During 2009, 10,839 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, representing 32% of all traffic-related deaths. Each year, alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost about $51 billion. Additionally, traffic-related crashes annually result in more than $45 billion in economic costs. Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are generally used in combination with alcohol (Jones et al. 2003).   A total of 1,314 children age 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2009. Of those 1,314 fatalities, 181 (14%) occurred in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Out of those 181 deaths, 92 (51%) were occupants of a vehicle with a driver who had a BAC level of .08 or higher, and another 27 children (15%) were pedestrians or pedalcyclists struck by drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher.

Alcohol remains a significant contributing factor in fatal crashes.

The severity of a motor vehicle crash increases when the driver is impaired. Individuals who drive while impaired are more likely to drive recklessly and become involved in fatal crashes. Plus, impaired drivers are less likely to use seatbelts, thereby increasing their own risk for serious injury in a crash. In 2009, 5,851 passenger vehicle drivers killed had a BAC of .08 or higher. Out of those driver fatalities for which restraint use was known, 72 percent were unrestrained. Drivers with a BAC of .08 or higher involved in fatal crashes were eight times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired (DWI) than were drivers with no alcohol (8% and 1%, respectively).

The majority of those who drive impaired are likely to repeat the behavior.

In 2009, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s less than one percent of the 147 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year. Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are often used in combination with alcohol.