National Impaired Driving
Drinking and driving, often combined with other drugs, is a leading cause of needless tragedies on families. Nationally, impaired driving will affect one in three Americans during their lifetime. In 2003, 17,013 people died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, accounting for 40 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S. (NHTSA 2004). Every 31 minutes, an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash kills someone and injures someone every two minutes. (NHTSA 2004).
Each year, alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost about 51 billion dollars (Blincoe et. al. 2002). At the same time, most drinking and driving episodes go undetected. In 2002, about 1.5 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and narcotics (NHTSA 2002). That’s slightly more than one percent of the 120 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year (Dellinger et al. 1999).
Especially at risk are younger drivers. No matter the level of blood alcohol concentration, the risk of being involved in a crash is greater for young people than for older people (Zador 2000). In 2003, 25 percent of drivers ages 15-too 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol (NHTSA 2004).
While only 7 percent of licensed drivers in 2000 were ages 15-20, they represented approximately 13 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking (NHTSA, 2002). Alcohol-related traffic fatalities constituted almost 37 percent of all fatal youth traffic fatalities (NHTSA 2002). Youths who drive after drinking are more likely to be in a crash than youths who have not had a drink. More 19 year olds died in alcohol-related crashes with relatively low BAC levels than any other age (NHTSA 2002).
When young people drink and get into a car, they also tend to make poor decisions that bear on their safety. Teens have the highest fatality rate in motor vehicle crashes than any other group. At the same time, youth are more likely to get in a car with an intoxicated driver: 41 percent of frequent heavy drinkers reported riding with an intoxicated driver, compared with only 14 percent of those who never drank. (Hingson, R., and Kenkel, D. in press, 2004). In sum, alcohol-related crashes involving underage drinkers are more likely to result in death and serious injury than those involving other drivers. (National Academy of Sciences 2003).
Virginia Impaired Driving
Closer to home, 361 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes on Virginia’s highways in 2003, representing 38.3 percent of all traffic crashes (942). More than 7,800 were injured (Virginia Motor Vehicle Statistics -1968-2003 and Virginia Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Statistics 1978-2003).
This compares to 375 alcohol-related fatalities in 2002, 41.1 percent of all traffic crashes 913), while 8,465 more were injured. In 2001, 358 people died in alcohol-related crashes, 38.3 percent of all traffic crashes (935) (Virginia Motor Vehicle Statistics -1968-2003 and Virginia Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Statistics 1978-2003).
Among young drivers in Virginia, 39 teens, aged 15-19 were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2003, 4.14 percent of the total traffic fatalities (942). Another 926 teens, aged 15-19, were injured in alcohol-related crashes, 1.17 percent of the total traffic injuries (78,842) (2003 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts).
This compares to 45 teenagers, aged 15-19, who died in alcohol-related crashes in 2002, representing 4.93 percent of the total (913) traffic fatalities. More than 1,090 more teens were injured in alcohol-related crashes, 1.39 percent of the total traffic injuries (78,896) (2002 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts).
Overall, fatalities increased by more than 3 percent in 2003, while traffic crashes rose by more than 4.8 percent and Virginia’s death rate went up 1.65 percent. On average in 2003, there was one crash every 3 minutes. One driver out of 18+ was involved in a crash. More than 2.5 lives were lost each day and 216 more were injured because of traffic crashes. And most crashes are caused by driver error, most of which are preventable.
And the economic cost? In addition to staggering personal costs, expenses of motor vehicle deaths, injuries and property damage have been on the rise in Virginia, going from $3.2 million annually in 1998 to more than $3.5 million in 2002(2003 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts). Much of this is due to impaired driving.
Most of these injuries, fatalities, property damages and other societal costs are PREVENTABLE through simple positive actions people can take.
