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Facts + Statistics: Alcohol-impaired driving

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 the National Highway Traffic Safety  Administration’s (NHTSA) Alcohol Impaired Driving Safety Fact Sheet, 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2021—an increase of 14 percent from 2020. Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities accounted for 31 percent of all crash fatalities.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) 49 states and the District of Columbia have per se laws making it a crime to drive with a BAC at or above 0.08 (Utah the threshold is a BAC of 0.05 percent or above). The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has information on alcohol impaired driving state laws.

Total Traffic And Alcohol-Impaired Crash Fatalities, 1985-2021 (1)

 

    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
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 10,967 29
2017 37,473 10,880 29
2018 36,835 10,710 29
2019 36,355 10,196 28
2020 39,007 11,718 30
2021 42,939 13,384 31

(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, 2012 And 2021 (1)

 

Age 2012 2021 Point change
15 to 20 17% 17% 0 pts.
21 to 24 32 27 -5
25 to 34 29 27 -2
35 to 44 24 23 -1
45 to 54 21 20 -1
55 to 64 13 16 3
65 to 74 8 12 4
Over 74 5 8 3

(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, 2021

 

    Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities (1)
Person type Total killed Number Percent of
total killed
Vehicle occupants      
     Driver 21,786 7,668 35%
     Passenger 6,527 2,078 32
     Unknown occupant 45 8 18
     Total 28,358 9,754 34%
Motorcyclists 5,932 2,023 34%
Nonoccupants      
     Pedestrian 7,388 1,383 19
     Pedalcyclist 966 157 16
     Other/unknown 295 67 23
     Total 8,649 1,607 19%
Total 42,939 13,384 31%

(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 greater, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

View Archived Tables

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