Alcohol

In 1996, there were 17,126 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes. This is a 1 percent decrease compared to 1995, and it represents an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 31 minutes. The 17,126 alcohol-related fatalities in 1996 (40.9 percent of total traffic fatalities for the year) represent a 29 percent reduction from the 24,045 alcohol-related fatalities reported in 1986 (52.2 percent of the total). NHTSA estimates that alcohol was involved in 40.8 percent of fatal crashes and in 7 percent of all crashes in 1996. In 1996, 32.0 percent of all traffic fatalities occurred in crashes in which at least one driver or nonoccupant had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.10 grams per deciliter (g/dl) or greater.

All states and the District of Columbia now have 21-year-old minimum drinking age laws. NHTSA estimates that these laws have reduced traffic fatalities involving drivers 18 to 20 years old by 13 percent and have saved an estimated 16,513 lives since 1975. Approximately 1.4 million drivers were arrested in 1995 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. This is an arrest rate of 1 for every 123 licensed drivers in the United States (1996 data not yet available). About 3 in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. From 1986 to 1996, intoxication rates (BAC of 0.10 g/dl or greater) decreased for drivers of all age groups involved in fatal crashes. Intoxication rates for drivers in fatal crashes in 1996 were 30.3 percent for motorcycles, 21.9 percent for light trucks, 18.8 percent for passenger cars, and 1.4 percent for large trucks.

Speeding

Speeding -- exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions -- is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. The human and economic sacrifice is unacceptable. The economic cost to society of speeding-related crashes is estimated by NHTSA to be $28.8 billion per year. In 1996, speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of all fatal crashes, and 12,998 lives were lost in speeding-related accidents. In 1996, 624,000 people received minor injuries in speeding-related crashes. An additional 75,000 people received moderate injuries, and 41,000 received critical injuries in speeding-related accidents. In 1996, 87 percent of speeding-related fatalities occurred on roads that were not Interstate highways. For drivers involved in fatal crashes, young males are the most likely to be speeding.

The proportion of all crashes that are speeding-related decreases with increasing driver age. In 1996, 36 percent of the male drivers 15 to 20 years old who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash. Alcohol and speeding are clearly a deadly combination. Alcohol involvement is prevalent for drivers involved in speeding-related accidents. In 1996, 42 percent of the intoxicated drivers (BAC = 0.10 or higher) involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with only 14 percent of the sober drivers (BAC = 0.00) involved in fatal accidents.