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. 2003;27(1):63-78.

Epidemiology and consequences of drinking and driving

Ralph Hingson  1 , Michael Winter
Affiliations

Epidemiology and consequences of drinking and driving

Ralph Hingson et al. Alcohol Res Health. 2003.

Abstract

Alcohol is a major factor in traffic crashes, and crashes involving alcohol are more likely to result in injuries and deaths than crashes where alcohol is not a factor. Increasing blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) have been linked to increased crash risk. Male drivers, particularly those ages 22 to 45; people with drinking problems and prior drinking and driving convictions; and drivers who do not wear safety belts are disproportionately likely to be involved in alcohol-related fatal crashes. Alcohol-dependent people are over-represented in all alcohol-related traffic crashes, as are those who begin drinking at younger ages. Though there are more than 82 million drinking-driving trips in a given year at BACs of 0.08 percent and higher (and 10 percent of drinking-driving trips are at BACs of 0.08 percent and higher), there are only 1.5 million arrests for drinking and driving each year. Despite overall marked reductions in alcohol-related traffic deaths since the early 1980s, there has been little reduction since the mid-1990s, and alcohol-related traffic deaths have increased slightly in the past 3 years.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trends in alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related traffic fatalities, 1982 through 2002. Alcohol-related traffic deaths were 33 percent lower in 2002 than in 1982. During the same time, traffic deaths that did not involve alcohol increased 43 percent.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trends in number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities for different BACs, 1982 through 2002. Traffic deaths involving people with BACs up to 0.08 percent had the smallest proportional decline (19 percent) from 1982 through 2002. Traffic deaths among people with BACs of 0.08 percent and higher declined 35 percent, and those involving people with BACs of 0.15 percent and higher declined 37 percent. SOURCE: NHTSA 2003a.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Trends in number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities for different age groups, 1982 through 2002. Sixteen- to 20-year-olds have had the greatest decline in alcohol-related traffic deaths since 1982, down 56 percent. Alcohol-related traffic deaths declined 47 percent among 21- to 29-year-olds and 37 percent among 30- to 45-year-olds. The smallest proportional decline was observed among 46- to 64-year-olds, where only a 1-percent reduction occurred. SOURCE: NHTSA 2003a.
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