2011 Drunk Driving Statistics




Click here for drunk driving statistics for 2010; 2009; 2008; 2007; 2006; 2005; 2004; 2003; 2002; 2001; 2000.

All 50 states in the US and Puerto Rico now apply two statutory offenses to driving under the influence of alcohol. The first (and original) offense is known either as driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI), or operating [a motor vehicle] while intoxicated/impaired (OWI). This is based upon a police officer’s observations (driving behavior, slurred speech, the results of a roadside sobriety test, etc.)

The second offense is called “illegal per se”, which is driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08 g/dL or higher. Since 2002 it has been illegal in all 50 states to drive with a BAC that is 0.08 or higher. Drivers are considered to be alcohol-impaired when their BAC is .08 or higher.

An average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality occurred every 53 minutes in 2011.

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In 2011, 9,878 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. These alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 31 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States.

Traffic fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes decreased by 2.5 percent from 2010.

In 2011, a total of 1,140 children age 14 and younger were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Of those 1,140 fatalities, 181 occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.

The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2011 was 4.5

times higher at night than during the day.

In 2011, 15 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-impaired, compared to 31 percent on weekends.

In fatal crashes in 2011 the highest percentage of drivers with a BAC level of .08 or higher was for drivers ages 21 to 24.

The proportion of drivers involved in fatal crashes with BAC levels of .08 or higher was 24 percent among males and 14 percent among females.

The percentages of drivers involved in fatal crashes with a BAC level of .08 or higher in 2011 were 29 percent for motorcycles, 24 percent for passenger cars, and 21 percent for light trucks.


Alcohol-related deaths in the US since 1982 (these numbers will adjust on occasion as new data arrives):




































 
Total fatalities
Alcohol-related
fatalities
Year
Number
Number
Percent
1982
43,945
26,173
60
1983
42,589
24,635
58
1984
44,257
24,762
56
1985
43,825
23,167
53
1986
46,087
25,017
54
1987
46,390
24,094
52
1988
47,087
23,833
51
1989
45,582
22,424
49
1990
44,599
22,587
51
1991
41,508
20,159
49
1992
39,250
18,290
47
1993
40,150
17,908
45
1994
40,716
17,308
43
1995
41,817
17,732
42
1996
42,065
17,749
42
1997
42,013
16,711
40
1998
41,501
16,673
40
1999
41,717
16,572
40
41,945
17,380
41
42,196
17,400
41
43,005
17,524
41
42,643
17,013
40
42,518
16,919
39
43,443
16,885
39
42,532
15,829
37
41,059
15,387
37
37,261
13,846
37
33,808
12,744
38
32,885
10,228
31
2011
32,367
9,878
38
2012
xxx
xxx
xxx
2013
xxx
xxx
xxx

Drinking and driving fatalities by state in 2011 (ranked by highest number of alcohol-related* deaths):
























































State
Total Fatalities

Alcohol-Related
Fatalities

Number
Percent
 Texas  2,9981,45048%
 California  2,71592434%
 Florida  2,44575131%
 Pennsylvania  1,32450238%
 North Carolina  1,31945334%
 Georgia  1,24434628%
 New York  1,20042836%
 Ohio  1,08041338%
 Tennessee  1,03134033%
 Michigan  94228530%
 Illinois  92736640%
 Alabama  86231436%
 Missouri  81931338%
 South Carolina  81041051%
 Arizona  76223130%
 Kentucky  76021028%
 Indiana  75422029%
 Virginia  74025334%
 Louisiana  71028039%
 Oklahoma  66824837%
 Mississippi  64125940%
 Wisconsin  57224042%
 Arkansas  56319635%
 New Jersey  55618734%
 Maryland  49318838%
 Washington  45819442%
 Colorado  44814232%
 Kansas  43119245%
 Minnesota  41113533%
 Iowa  39010326%
 New Mexico  34612135%
 Connecticut  31913843%
 Oregon  3179129%
 West Virginia  31510132%
 Massachusetts  31414145%
 Nevada  2578533%
 Utah  2364921%
 Idaho  2098239%
 Nebraska  1905931%
 Montana  1898444%
 Maine  1614830%
 Wyoming  1555938%
 South Dakota  1404633%
 New Hampshire  1285342%
 Hawaii  1134842%
 North Dakota  1055148%
 Delaware  1014342%
 Vermont  712535%
 Rhode Island  663045%
 Alaska  561731%
 Dist of Columbia 24935%
National32,88511,94836%
Puerto Rico34012035%

The table below shows alcohol-impaired** motor vehicle fatalities in the US for 2008.
























































StateTotal Fatalities*BAC=.08+
NumberNumberPercent
Texas3,0711,23540%
California3,08195031%
Florida2,55877030%
Pennsylvania1,25640632%
South Carolina89437742%
North Carolina1,31436328%
Georgia1,28433126%
Ohio1,02132432%
New York1,15632128%
Illinois91131935%
Tennessee98930331%
Missouri87830034%
Louisiana82129536%
Alabama84828033%
Michigan87124628%
Virginia75724332%
Oklahoma73823532%
Mississippi70023433%
Arizona80721927%
Wisconsin56121338%
Indiana69321030%
Washington49220642%
Kentucky79119425%
Arkansas58516829%
Maryland54716230%
Colorado46515834%
Kansas38615440%
New Jersey58314925%
Oregon37711530%
West Virginia35611532%
New Mexico36111432%
Minnesota42110826%
Massachusetts33410832%
Connecticut2239944%
Iowa3729626%
Montana2218136%
Nevada2436828%
Nebraska2236630%
Idaho2265826%
North Dakota1405438%
South Dakota1315340%
Hawaii1095248%
Maine1594729%
Wyoming1344735%
Delaware1164538%
Utah2444016%
Rhode Island833440%
New Hampshire1103027%
Vermont742332%
Alaska642031%
Dist of Columbia291035%
National33,80810,83932%
Puerto Rico36510930%

 

*According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “A motor vehicle crash is considered to be alcohol-related if at least one driver or non-occupant (such as a pedestrian or pedalcyclist) involved in the crash is determined to have had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality that occurs in an alcohol-related crash is considered an alcohol-related fatality. The term ‘alcohol-related’ does not indicate that a crash or fatality was caused by the presence of alcohol.”

**A driver involved in a motor vehicle crash is considered alcohol-impaired if he or she exhibits a BAC of .08 or greater.

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