Motor Vehicle Safety Issues

Alcohol-impaired driving continues to be one of the biggest safety issues on U.S. roads. In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in alcohol-impaired crashes, an increase of 14.3% from the 10,196 deaths in 2019 and the most deaths recorded since 2009. Alcohol-impaired driving crashes involve at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher.

Progress has been made in reducing alcohol-impaired crashes. In 1982, 48% of all traffic deaths involved alcohol-impaired crashes. This is down to 30% of deaths in 2020. The percentage of lower BAC alcohol-involved crashes (from 0.01 to 0.07 g/dL) has been very stable over the decades, fluctuating between 5% and 7%.

Multiple programs have contributed to the decrease in alcohol-related deaths on U.S. roads, including high visibility enforcement and minimum drinking age laws. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that minimum drinking age laws have saved more than 31,000 lives from 1975 to 2017 (more recent estimates are not available).

The prevalence of alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes varies by age. About 26% of 25- to 34-year-old drivers in fatal crashes were impaired (BAC 0.08+ g/dL). This percent drops to less than 20% in the 45- to 54-age group and down to below 10% in the 75 and older age group.

About 16% of drivers in fatal crashes who test positive for alcohol fall below the 0.08 g/dL BAC legal limit. About half of the drivers in fatal crashes that test positive for alcohol have BACs of 0.16 g/dL or higher. The prevalence of positive BAC levels peak at the 0.16 and 1.17 g/dL levels and steadily decline as BAC levels increase.

The infographic provides an overview of the environmental factors associated with alcohol-impaired crashes. More than half occur on urban roads, and the vast majority happen in good weather (71%). Sixty-eight percent of these crashes occur at night, and 37% occur on residential streets (local and collector roads). In 2020, August experienced the most alcohol-impaired crashes (11.0% of the yearly total), while January and April experienced the fewest (6.0%).

Sources:

NSC analysis of NHTSA FARS data.

National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2018, May). Traffic Safety Facts 2016 (Report No. DOT HS 812 554). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2021, July). Alcohol-impaired driving: 2019 data (Traffic Safety Facts. Report No. DOT HS 813 120). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2005, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2018). Lives saved by restraint use and minimum drinking age laws (Traffic Safety Facts Report No. DOT HS 809 860, DOT HS 810 869, DOT HS 811 153, DOT HS 811 851, DOT HS 812 683). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.