50 Shocking Drunk Driving Statistics 

Reviews.com shared that with an increasing focus on the problem of drunk driving, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have been decreasing steadily. However, 28 people are still killed every day in the U.S. due to drinking and driving. We still lose 10,000 of our fellow citizens every year from drunk driving.

A drunk driving incident impacts many people in very serious ways. Of course, the worst-case scenario leaves families devastated by the death or severe injury of a loved one. These consequences are irreversible. Other people are also impacted, especially if a family member is sentenced to jail time, and the incident inevitably adds to financial stresses.

Even if the situation does not result in severe injury, a drunk driving conviction can be costly as fines and attorneys’ fees escalate. Long term, the cost of insurance increases dramatically, and even the best carriers will impose higher premiums and other restrictions on coverage.

50 shocking drunk driving statistics

Accidents and arrests

1. In 2016, more than one million drivers were arrested for drunk driving or driving under the influence of narcotics. (CDC)

2. In 2019, 31% of drivers involved in single-vehicle crashes with fatalities were alcohol-impaired. (NHTSA)

3. 13% of drivers involved in multiple-vehicle fatal crashes in 2019 were intoxicated. (NHTSA)

4. Alcohol involvement in fatal accidents is most prominent after dark. In 2019, 49% of fatally injured drivers had blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or above between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., while 18% of fatally injured drivers had a similar BAC during the daytime. (IIHS)

 
Deaths and injuries

5. Each day, approximately 28 people are killed in the United States in drunk-driving accidents. That’s one person every 52 minutes. (NHTSA)

6. Drunk driving causes more than 10,000 deaths every year and about 1/3 of all traffic-related deaths. (NHTSA)

7. During the period from 2010 to 2019, there were more than 10,000 drunk driving-related fatalities each year. (NHTSA)

8. Drunk driving fatalities decreased by 5.3 percent, from 10,710 to 10,142, in 2019 compared with 2018. (NHTSA)

9. In 2019, approximately 28% of all traffic fatalities resulted from alcohol impairment. (NHTSA)

10. In 2019, the percentage of drunk driving deaths reached its lowest level since 1982, when the NHTSA began reporting alcohol data. Still, 10,142 died in drunk driving accidents that year. (NHTSA)

11. Despite improvements, drunk driving is still the leading killer on the country’s roadways. (MADD.org)

12. The percentage of fatally injured drivers with a blood alcohol count (BAC) of 0.08% or above declined from a 49% high in 1982 to 33% in 1994. This trend has leveled off since 1994 though BAC’s are still falling, with 28% of fatally injured drivers with these BAC levels in 2019. (IIHS)

To read the entire article, click here.