Drunk Driving Statistics and Resources

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) reports that in 2021, a staggering 13,384 Americans died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which shares many tragic statistics about drunk driving, one person dies from drunk driving every 39 minutes in the United States. The NHTSA also shared that drunk driving accounts for 28% of all traffic-related fatalities in the U.S.

Drunk Driving Statistics 2024

During this time, your breathing may slow down and your cognitive skills may be delayed. Clear vision is essential for drivers, but excessive alcohol consumption can impair visual acuity. Drinking can cause consequences of driving drunk include: blurred vision and, in some cases, uncontrolled eye movements. Vision impairment affects the ability to judge distances between vehicles on the road.

• For those age 21 and under, zero-tolerance laws criminalize driving with any amount of alcohol.
• The act of drinking alcohol already depresses your ability to reason.
• After drinking, you may notice that your vision is blurred or that you’re unable to control your eye movement.
• Different strategies might require different resources for implementation or have different levels of impact.
• For this analysis, we surveyed 5,410 U.S. adults from Aug. 12 to 18, 2024.
• All states have laws setting minimum and maximum fines for drunk driving, but those penalties can be enhanced by other circumstances.
• A DUI conviction can cause your car insurance rates to increase an average of 71%, based on our analysis of average rates from top auto insurers.

Risks of moderate alcohol use

Did you know that you can also get a DUI for driving under the influence of drugs? Driving while impaired by any substance — legal or illegal — puts you and others in harm’s way. A DUI can set you back, on average, $10,000, and there could be a crash — people could get hurt or killed. Young people between the ages of 21 to 25 years old are the most likely to drive drunk.

• The NHTSA also shared that drunk driving accounts for 28% of all traffic-related fatalities in the U.S.
• If you are convicted of a DWI or DUI offense, your insurance rates will likely increase dramatically.
• The risks of driving under the influence of alcohol far outweigh any potential benefits.
• Driving under the influence can result in a DUI, but the consequences can be far more severe.

Risks of heavy alcohol use

A DUI can set you back upwards of $10,000 in attorney’s fees, fines, court costs, lost time at work, higher insurance rates, car towing, and more. And, drinking and driving can result in losing your driver’s license and your car — imagine trying to explain that to your friends, family and boss. Many states have enacted various laws in an effort to reduce the dangers of drinking and driving. For instance, zero tolerance laws are aimed at adolescents who get behind the wheel of a car after consuming alcohol. Drinking under the age of 21 is illegal in the United States and comes with strict punishment. If you are charged with underage drinking and operating a motor vehicle, you could face severe legal penalties.

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For more information about alcohol treatment, speak with a treatment provider today. Whether they’re walking or biking to school, riding the bus or driving on their own, here are safety tips to teach your children as they head back to school. Alcohol impairs your coordination when you reach a BAC of .05%, or about three drinks. By four drinks, or a BAC of .08%, overall muscle coordination deteriorates.

Still, a substantial share (37%) see this as a major problem where they live, and another 45% see it as a minor problem. As millions of Americans prepare to hit the road for holiday travel, many U.S. adults feel that driving in their area has become more dangerous than it was before the coronavirus pandemic. Most see cellphone distraction behind the wheel as a major problem in their local community, and about a quarter report witnessing road rage often, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. If you are convicted of driving under the influence, part of your sentence will include paying a fine.

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In 2011 alone, close to one million high school teens admitted to drinking and driving. The largest group at risk for drinking and driving are those who binge drink or are struggling with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This means they consume a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time, putting them at risk for harmful side effects. It takes roughly 30 minutes to two hours for alcohol to be absorbed into your bloodstream.

BAC of 0.05

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 62% of those who died in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers in 2020 were the alcohol-impaired drivers themselves. Drunk driving is when a person operates a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. A person’s level of alcohol impairment is determined by what’s called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol content (BAC). According to the US Department of Transportation, nearly 4 million American adults committed an estimated 112 million drunk-driving incidents in 2010 alone. Despite the high volume of drunk driving episodes, only a small percentage of impaired drivers are arrested. There are almost 300,000 drunk driving incidents in America each day.