National Drunk Driving Statistics – 2007
- In 2007, the alcohol-impaired driving
fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles
traveled decreased to 0.43, the lowest rate
on record. While the fatality rate has
declined steadily since the early 1980’s,
when the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration began tracking this
information, there were still an estimated
12,998 deaths due to alcohol-impaired
traffic crashes in 2007. This
represents 31.7% of all traffic fatalities.
The total number of alcohol-impaired driving
fatalities decreased 3.7% nationally
compared to 2006. This included
decreases in fatalities in 32 states.
- Younger age groups are overrepresented
among alcohol-impaired driving fatalities.
Victims aged 21-24 made up 11% of all
fatalities in 2007, but 16% of
alcohol-related deaths. Similarly,
25-34-year-olds made up 17 % of all
fatalities, but 23% of alcohol-related
driving fatalities. Compared to 2006
data, there were fewer alcohol-related
deaths in all age groups in 2007, with the
exception of 45-64-year-olds.
- Approximately two thirds of 2007
fatalities, 67%, were drivers or motorcycle
riders found to have a BAC of 0.8 or greater
at the time of the collision. Another
17% of victims were passengers riding with
the impaired person.
- Impaired drivers involved in fatal
collisions are statistically more likely to
be younger. The 25-34-year-old age
group represented the highest proportion of
impaired drivers in 2007 fatal collisions,
making up 26%, although the same age group
represented just 19% of all drivers involved
in fatal collisions. Drivers aged
21-24 accounted for another 18% of impaired
drivers in fatal collisions, but just 11% of
drivers in all fatal collisions.
- Males consistently represent the
majority of alcohol-impaired drivers
involved in fatal
crashes, making up 83% in
2007. Additionally, most of the
decline in alcohol-impaired driving
fatalities between 2006 and 2007 can be
attributed to a decline in the number of
female drivers involved. The number of
alcohol-impaired male drivers involved in
fatalities declined only slightly.
- In 2007, 62% of all drivers involved in
fatal collisions were wearing a safety belt
or helmet, compared to 34% of
alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes.
- The percentage of alcohol-impaired
driving fatalities which occurred over the
weekend versus during the week remained
consistent between 2006 and 2007. In
both years, 57% of alcohol-impaired
driving
fatalities occurred on Saturday or Sunday.
There are also significant trends related to
the timing of alcohol-impaired driving
fatalities; crashes between the hours of
midnight and 3 AM made up 11% of all fatal
crashes, but 28% of alcohol-impaired fatal
crashes.
- Of all fatal crashes in 2007, 39%
involved only one vehicle. When fatal
crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver
are considered separately, however,
single-vehicle crashes make up 68% of the
total.
- In 2007, 8% of the impaired drivers
involved in fatal crashes had previously
been convicted of driving while intoxicated
within the last 3 years.
Source:
NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Research Note (DOT
HS 811 016): “2007 Traffic Safety Annual
Assessment – Alcohol-Impaired Driving
Fatalities”.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811016.PDF
