Alcohol is a major factor in traffic accidents. Based on data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there was an alcohol-impaired traffic fatality every 48 minutes in 2017.
Alcohol-impaired crashes are those that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or above, the legal definition of impaired driving. According to NHTSA 10,874 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2017. Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities accounted for 29 percent of all crash fatalities.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates 1,017,808 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in 2016. The arrest rate works out to one arrest for about every 215 licensed drivers in the United States.
The definition of alcohol-impaired driving was consistent throughout the United States until December 2018. All states and the District of Columbia except Utah define impairment as driving with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) at or above 0.08 grams per deciliter. In Utah, the BAC limit was lowered to 0.05 in December 2018. In addition, they all have zero tolerance laws prohibiting drivers under the age of 21 from drinking and driving. Generally the BAC in these cases is 0.02 grams per deciliter.
Campaigns against alcohol-impaired driving especially target drivers under the age of 21, repeat offenders and 21-to 34-year-olds, the age group that is responsible for more alcohol-related fatal crashes than any other. Young drivers are those least responsive to arguments against impaired driving, according to NHTSA.
To make sellers and servers of liquor more careful about to whom and how they serve drinks, 42 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws or have case law holding commercial liquor servers legally liable for the damage, injuries and deaths an alcohol-impaired driver causes. Thirty-nine states have enacted laws or have case law that permit social hosts who serve liquor to people who subsequently are involved in crashes to be held liable for any injury or death.
Total Traffic And Alcohol-Impaired Crash Fatalities, 1985-2018
| |
|
Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities (1) |
| Year |
Total traffic
fatalities |
Number |
As a percent of
all crash deaths |
| 1985 |
43,825 |
18,125 |
41% |
| 1990 |
44,599 |
17,705 |
40 |
| 1995 |
41,817 |
13,478 |
32 |
| 2000 |
41,945 |
13,324 |
32 |
| 2005 |
43,510 |
13,582 |
31 |
| 2006 |
42,708 |
13,491 |
32 |
| 2007 |
41,259 |
13,041 |
32 |
| 2008 |
37,423 |
11,711 |
31 |
| 2009 |
33,883 |
10,759 |
32 |
| 2010 |
32,999 |
10,136 |
31 |
| 2011 |
32,479 |
9,865 |
30 |
| 2012 |
33,782 |
10,336 |
31 |
| 2013 |
32,894 |
10,110 |
31 |
| 2014 |
32,744 |
9,943 |
30 |
| 2015 |
35,485 |
10,320 |
30 |
| 2016 |
37,806 |
10,996 |
29 |
| 2017 |
37,473 |
10,908 |
29 |
| 2018 |
36,560 |
10,511 |
29 |
|
(1) Alcohol-impaired driving crashes are crashes that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or above, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving in most states.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
View Archived Tables
Percent Of Drivers Involved In Fatal Crashes Impaired By Alcohol, By Age, 2008 And 2017 (1)
| Age |
2008 |
2017 |
Point change |
| 16 to 20 |
17% |
15% |
-2 pts. |
| 21 to 24 |
34 |
27 |
-7 |
| 25 to 34 |
31 |
26 |
-5 |
| 35 to 44 |
25 |
23 |
-2 |
| 45 to 54 |
20 |
19 |
-1 |
| 55 to 64 |
12 |
15 |
3 |
| 65 to 74 |
6 |
9 |
3 |
| Over 74 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
|
(1) Alcohol-impaired driving crashes are crashes that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or above, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving in most states.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
View Archived Tables
Persons Killed In Total And Alcohol-Impaired Crashes By Person Type, 2017
| |
|
Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities (1) |
| Person type |
Total killed |
Number |
Percent of
total killed |
| Vehicle occupants |
|
|
|
| Driver |
18,726 |
6,158 |
33% |
| Passenger |
6,174 |
1,830 |
30 |
| Unknown occupant |
73 |
2 |
2 |
| Total |
24,973 |
7,989 |
32% |
| Motorcyclists |
5,172 |
1,704 |
33% |
| Nonoccupants |
|
|
|
| Pedestrian |
5,977 |
1,017 |
17 |
| Pedalcyclist |
783 |
126 |
16 |
| Other/unknown |
228 |
39 |
17 |
| Total |
6,988 |
1,181 |
17% |
| Total |
37,133 |
10,874 |
29% |
|
(1) Alcohol-impaired driving crashes are crashes that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or above, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving in most states.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
View Archived Tables
State Laws Curbing Alcohol-Impaired Driving
| |
Interlocks (1) required |
|
|
| |
|
To drive during post-conviction license suspension |
To reinstate license after conviction |
|
|
| State |
To drive during ALS (2)
(first offense) |
First offender |
Repeat offender |
First offender |
Repeat offender |
ALS (2) mandatory
90-day license suspension (3) |
Open container law (4) |
| Alabama |
(5) |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Alaska |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Arizona |
|
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Arkansas |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
| California |
|
X (6) |
X |
X (6) |
X (6) |
X |
X |
| Colorado |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Connecticut |
(5) |
(5) |
(5) |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Delaware |
(5) |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| D.C. |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
X |
| Florida |
|
(7) |
X |
(7) |
X |
X |
X |
| Georgia |
|
|
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Hawaii |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Idaho |
|
|
(5) |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Illinois |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Indiana |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
| Iowa |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Kansas |
(5) |
(5) |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
| Kentucky |
(8) |
X |
X |
|
|
|
X |
| Louisiana |
|
X |
X |
|
|
|
|
| Maine |
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
X |
| Maryland |
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Massachusetts |
(5) |
|
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Michigan |
(8) |
|
X |
|
X |
|
X |
| Minnesota |
(7) |
(7) |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
| Mississippi |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
X |
|
| Missouri |
|
|
X |
|
X |
X |
|
| Montana |
(8) |
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
| Nebraska |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Nevada |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| New Hampshire |
(5) |
X |
(5) |
|
X |
X |
X |
| New Jersey |
(8) |
|
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
| New Mexico |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| New York |
(8) |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
| North Carolina |
|
(7) |
(5) |
(7) |
X |
|
X |
| North Dakota |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
| Ohio |
|
|
X |
|
|
X |
X |
| Oklahoma |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Oregon |
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Pennsylvania |
(8) |
(7) |
X |
(7) |
X |
|
X |
| Rhode Island |
(8) |
X |
X |
|
X |
|
X |
| South Carolina |
(8) |
(7) |
(5) |
(7) |
X |
|
X |
| South Dakota |
(8) |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
| Tennessee |
(8) |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Texas |
|
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Utah |
|
(5) |
(5) |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Vermont |
X |
X |
X |
|
|
X |
X |
| Virginia |
(5) |
X |
X |
|
X |
|
|
| Washington |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| West Virginia |
X |
X |
X |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Wisconsin |
|
|
|
|
|
X |
X |
| Wyoming |
|
|
X |
(7) |
X |
X |
|
|
(1) Ignition interlock devices analyze a driver's breath for alcohol and disable the ignition if a driver has been drinking. States identified mandate the devices on offenders' vehicles.
(2) Administrative license suspension, on-the-spot drivers license suspension or revocation if blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is over the legal limit or the driver refuses to take a BAC test.
(3) Mandatory penalty for violation of the implied consent law, which means that drivers who refuse to take a breath alcohol test when stopped or are arrested for alcohol-impaired driving or if BAC is over the legal limit will have their license revoked or suspended.
(4) Prohibits unsealed alcohol containers and alcohol consumption in motor vehicle passenger compartments for all occupants. Counts only laws meeting federal requirements.
(5) No option for driving during suspension.
(6) In four counties.
(7) State does not require interlocks except under certain conditions; see IIHS website.
(8) State has no administrative license suspension for first test failure.
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; Governors Highway Safety Association.
View Archived Tables
Statutes Or Court Cases Holding Alcoholic Beverage Servers Liable
| Alabama |
X |
|
X |
X |
Montana |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Alaska |
X |
|
X |
|
Nebraska |
|
|
X |
|
| Arizona |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Nevada |
|
|
X (4) |
|
| Arkansas |
X |
X |
|
|
New Hampshire |
X |
|
X |
X |
| California |
X |
|
X |
|
New Jersey |
X |
|
X |
X |
| Colorado |
X |
X |
X |
|
New Mexico |
X |
|
X |
X |
| Connecticut |
X |
X |
|
X (4, 5) |
New York |
X |
|
X |
|
| Delaware |
|
|
|
|
North Carolina |
X |
X |
X |
X (4) |
| D.C. |
|
X (4) |
|
|
North Dakota |
X |
|
X |
|
| Florida |
X |
|
X |
X |
Ohio |
X |
X |
X |
X (4) |
| Georgia |
X |
|
X |
|
Oklahoma |
|
X |
|
|
| Hawaii |
|
X |
X |
|
Oregon |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Idaho |
X |
X |
X |
|
Pennsylvania |
X |
X |
|
X (4) |
| Illinois |
X |
|
X |
X |
Rhode Island |
X |
|
|
|
| Indiana |
X |
X |
X |
X |
South Carolina |
X |
X |
X |
X (4) |
| Iowa |
X |
X |
X |
X (4) |
South Dakota |
|
|
|
|
| Kansas |
|
|
|
|
Tennessee |
X |
|
|
|
| Kentucky |
X |
X |
|
X (4) |
Texas |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Louisiana |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Utah |
X |
|
X |
X |
| Maine |
X |
|
X |
|
Vermont |
X |
|
X |
X |
| Maryland |
|
|
|
|
Virginia |
|
|
|
|
| Massachusetts |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Washington |
X |
X |
X |
X (4) |
| Michigan |
X |
|
X |
X (4) |
West Virginia |
X |
X (4) |
|
|
| Minnesota |
X |
|
X |
X |
Wisconsin |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Mississippi |
X |
X |
X |
X |
Wyoming |
X |
|
X |
X (4) |
| Missouri |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) Indicates some form of liability is permitted by statute.
(2) States where common-law liability has not been specifically overruled by statute or where common-law actions are specifically recognized in addition to statutory liability.
(3) Indicates that language is capable of being read broadly enough to include noncommercial servers.
(4) For guests under the age of 21.
(5) Only if host either purveyed or supplied alcohol.
Source: American Property Casualty Insurers Association.
