MADD Canada | Research Library

General Impaired Driving Statistics from MADD U.S.

Intoxication rates for drivers in fatal crashes in 2000 were highest for motorcycle operators (27 percent) and lowest for drivers of large trucks (1 percent). (NHTSA, 2000)
Of the general driving age public, 98 percent see drinking and driving as a threat to their personal safety, and 86 percent feel it is very important to do something to reduce the problem. (Gallup Organization, 2000)
About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. (NHTSA, 2000)
An estimated 513,000 people are injured in alcohol-related crashes each year, an average of 59 people per hour or approximately one person every minute. (NHTSA, 2002)
The highest prevalence of both binge and heavy drinking in 2000 was for young adults aged 18 to 25, with the peak rate occurring at age 21. (SAMHSA, 2000)
Impairment is not determined by the type of drink, but rather by the amount of alcohol ingested over a specific period of time. ( IIHS, November 2001)
Alcohol is closely linked with violence. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, many more violent crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol than all other drugs. (Drug Strategies, 1999)
Alcohol is society's legal, oldest and most popular drug. (Narcotic Educational Foundation of America, 2002)
Many studies have found that beer is the preferred beverage of drinking drivers. (NHTSA, 2001)
Beer is the most common drink consumed by people stopped for alcohol-impaired driving or involved in alcohol-related crashes. (IIHS, November 2001)
In real dollars, alcohol costs less today than in 1981 because alcohol excise tax rates have failed to keep up with inflation. (Drug Strategies, 1999)
Alcohol-related fatalities are caused primarily by the consumption of beer (80 percent) followed by liquor/wine at 20 percent. (Runge, 2002)
The highest intoxication rates in fatal crashes in 2000 were recorded for drivers 21-24 years old (27 percent) followed by ages 25-34 (24 percent) and 35-44 (22 percent). (NHTSA, 2000)
Alcohol consumption is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes and injury. Historically, about half of all motor vehicle fatalities occur in crashes in which a driver or non-occupant has consumed a measurable level of alcohol prior to the crash. (NHTSA, 2002)
The impact of alcohol involvement increases with injury severity. Alcohol-involved crashes accounted for 10 percent of property damage only crash costs, 21 percent of nonfatal injury crashes; and 46 percent of fatal injury crash costs. (NHTSA, 2002)
The intoxication rate for male drivers involved in fatal crashes was 20 percent, compared with 11 percent for female drivers. (NHTSA, 2000)
The average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of about one drink per hour. Only time will sober a person up. Drinking strong coffee, exercising or taking a cold shower will not help. (Michigan State University, 2002)
For fatal crashes occurring from midnight to 3:00 a.m., 77 percent involved alcohol. (NHTSA, 2001)
Drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime. (MADD, 2000)
Older drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2000 had the lowest intoxication rate (4 percent) of all adult drivers. (NHTSA, 2000)
The rate of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes is more than 3 times as high at night as during the day (61 percent vs. 18 percent). (NHTSA, 2000)
The speed of alcohol absorption affects the rate at which one becomes drunk. Unlike foods, alcohol does not have to be slowly digested. As a person drinks faster than the alcohol can be eliminated, the drug accumulates in the body, resulting in higher and higher levels of alcohol in the blood. (Narcotic Education Foundation of America, 2002)
A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol (NIAAA, 1997)
The liver is able to metabolize about ½ ounce of pure ethanol per hour, (approximately one drink, depending on a person's body size, food intake, etc.). If more alcohol arrives in the liver than the enzymes can handle, the excess alcohol travels to all parts of the body, circulating until the liver enzymes are finally able to process it. (Healthcheck Systems, Inc., 2001)
Based on 1998 data, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for persons of every age from 4 through 33 years old. (NHTSA, 2000)
Thirty percent of all fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-related, compared to 53 percent on weekends. (NHTSA, 2000)
There is evidence that heavier drinkers prefer to drink at bars and other person's homes, and at multiple locations requiring longer driver distances. Young drivers have been found to prefer drinking at private parties, while older, more educated drivers prefer bars and taverns. (NHTSA, 2001)
Binge drinking has been defined as at least five drinks in a row for men and four drinks in a row for women. (Weschsler et al, 2002)