How Many Drunk Driving Crashes Are There a Year?
Despite the recent decrease in the number of drunk driving fatalities, alcohol-related fatalities continue to be a major problem on the road. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities make up nearly 25% of all fatal crashes. More than one million drivers were arrested for DUI in 2018. These drunk-driving car accidents are often caused by reckless behavior and can lead to thousands of injuries and deaths. The cost of these crashes is estimated to be $44 billion annually. In the U.S. alone, drunk drivers kill over 10,000 people each year.
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While it is true that drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.15% or higher are more likely to get into a fatal crash, many other factors go into the risk of getting into a car accident while intoxicated. There are several different ways to measure a driver’s BAC, including using a breathalyzer or blood test. Regardless of the method used, a BAC over 0.15% increases the risk of a deadly crash by 7 times.
Drunk driving fatalities are broken down by age, gender, and vehicle type. In general, younger people are more likely to die in an alcohol-related crash, and the highest percentage of drinking drivers were those under the age of 25. In contrast, alcohol-related fatalities were lower among the oldest drivers on the roads.
During the last three years, there have been fewer overall drunk driving-related fatalities, but the total amount of fatalities is still rising. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that over 10,511 people died in alcohol-related car crashes in 2018. While the numbers are declining, they are still significantly higher than they were in the early 1990s. A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 2 out of 3 Americans will be involved in a drunk driving crash at some point in their lives.
In 2020, the average BAC level for drivers in a fatal crash was.15 g/dL and the rate of alcohol impairment among fatal crashes was 3.1 times higher at night. This means that, on a typical night, there will be more drunk drivers on the road than sober drivers. During the week, 45% of all fatal crashes involve an alcohol-impaired driver, compared with 70% on weekends.
There are also some seasonal differences in the rate of alcohol-related fatalities. Summer has the highest rate of drinking drivers on the road. On New Year’s Day, DUI-related fatalities spike 116% above the baseline. This is followed closely by spring and fall.
In addition to alcohol-impaired driving, another major cause of traffic fatalities is drugged driving. A study by the National Institutes of Health indicates that more than 56,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2007. A recent Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) campaign aims to educate drivers about the dangers of drunk driving. The organization works with law enforcement officers and hosts media events to raise awareness.