Sobering Stats
- According to NHTSA, 837 people lost their lives in traffic crashes
involving a drunk driver in December 2019. - During the 2019 Christmas (6 p.m. Tuesday, December 24 to
5:59 a.m. Thursday, December 26) and New Year’s Day (6 p.m.
Friday, December 28, 2018, to 5:59 a.m. Wednesday, January 2,
2019) holiday periods, there were more drunk-driving-related
fatalities (210) than during any other holiday period that year. - Approximately one-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United
States involve drunk drivers (with blood alcohol concentrations [BACs] at or above .08 grams per deciliter [g/dL]). In 2019, there were 10,142 people killed in drunk-driving crashes. - Nationally, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah (limit is .05 g/dL).
- Although it’s illegal to drive when impaired by alcohol, in 2019, one person was killed every 52 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads.
- Men are more likely than women to be driving drunk when involved in fatal crashes. In 2019, 21% of male drivers were drunk, compared to 14% of female drivers.
- Of the traffic fatalities in 2019 among children 14 and younger, 19% (204) occurred in alcohol impaired-driving crashes.
- Among the 10,142 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in 2019, 68% (6,872) were in crashes in which at least one driver had a BAC of .15 or higher.
- Nighttime is a particularly dangerous time to be on the roads: The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2019 was 3.3 times higher at night than during the day.
DECEMBER 15, 2021 - JANUARY 1, 2022
This holiday season is just around the corner. As we prepare for festivities with family and friends, remember the dangers of drunk driving.
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
You have to choose your role before drinking begins: will you drink or will you drive? Remember, even if you just had one drink and you think you are "okay to drive", you could still be driving impaired.
Drive High. Get a DUI.
Drug-impaired driving is also a problem on our nation's highways. Like drunk driving, drug-impaired driving is also impaired driving. So, whether legally or illegally obtained, driving under the influence of drugs poses a threat to the driver, vehicle passengers, and other road users.
