www.centurycouncil.

org

Drunk Driving

Fatalities in America

2010

State of

Board of Directors
Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. Beam, Inc. Brown-Forman Constellation Brands, Inc. DIAGEO Hood River Distillers, Inc. Pernod Ricard USA

Advisory Board
The Honorable Thurbert E. Baker Former Attorney General, State of Georgia Partner, McKenna, Long & Aldridge Charles G. Curie Prinicipal & Founder, The Curie Group, LLC The Honorable Michael R. Fields Judge, Harris County Criminal Court Number 14 Carley Graham Garcia Global Industry Relations, Google, Inc. Lisa Graham Keegan Keegan Company, Former Superintendent of Public Instruction State of Arizona Robert L. King, J.D. President, Kentucky Council on Post Secondary Education Mark M. Bodi Chairman, National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) Dr. Anthony Wolf Clinical Psychologist and Best Selling Author

The Century Council

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

Overview
Building upon a longstanding history of corporate social responsibility and recognizing the power of collective action, the distilled spirits industry created The Century Council in 1991 as an independent, national, not-for-profit organization. Funded by Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA, The Century Council has remained steadfast in its mission to fight drunk driving and underage drinking and to promote responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol. An independent Advisory Board of distinguished leaders in business, government, education, law enforcement, medicine, and other relevant disciplines assists The Council and its members in its efforts. Our funding companies have demonstrated their support of The Councils mission over the past 20 years by investing in the development and implementation of innovative programs, public awareness campaigns, research and initiatives to fight drunk driving and underage drinking two of societys top safety concerns. Since The Century Councils inception, we have been a recognized leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking. Over this period of time alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have declined 35 percent nationally and 58 percent among those under 21, and annual consumption among 8th, 10th and 12th graders has decreased 33 percent. While we cannot claim sole responsibility for the progress that has been made, we estimate nearly 100,000 lives have been saved on our nations roads in part due to the role The Century Council has played over the past two decades. Believing in the concept that collective actions have a greater impact than individual efforts, The Century Council works to involve all sectors of the community including beverage alcohol retailers, law enforcement, judges, public officials, educators, insurers, health care professionals, government agencies, and advocacy organizations, in this important fight to advance policies and programs to help eliminate drunk driving. While 2010 recorded an historic low number of both traffic fatalities and alcohol-impaired driving fatalities our work remains unfinished. The median BAC level remains twice the legal limit at 0.16 among drinking drivers involved in fatal crashes and seven out of ten drivers in fatal drunk driving crashes involved a hardcore drunk driver, defined as those who had a BAC level of .15 or higher. The information provided serves as a useful resource to those interested in this effort. To find out more about The Century Councils programs and initiatives to fight drunk driving and underage drinking, or for copies of our latest research, please visit our website at www.centurycouncil.org and follow us on Twitter at @CenturyCouncil.

Ralph S. Blackman President & CEO The Century Council 2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 910 Arlington, Virginia 22202 Phone 202-637-0077 Fax 202-637-0079

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

The Century Council

Terminology
ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED FATALITY
Drivers in all 50 states and D.C. are considered to be alcohol-impaired if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Any fatality occurring in a crash involving at least one driver, or motorcycle operator, with a BAC of .08 or higher is considered to be an alcohol-impaired driving fatality. The term alcohol-impaired does not indicate that a crash or a fatality was the result of alcohol impairment. In producing national and state alcohol-impaired statistics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the extent of alcohol involvement when alcohol test results are unknown.

ALCOHOL-INVOLVED FATALITY
Alcohol-involved fatalities are those where at least one driver, or motorcycle operator, has a positive BAC of .01 or higher. In producing national and state alcohol-involved statistics, NHTSA estimates the extent of alcohol involvement when alcohol test results are unknown.

BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BAC)

BAC is measured in grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. A BAC of .01 indicates .01 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. As of July 2004, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation establishing a driver with a BAC of .08 to be legally intoxicated. Additionally, 48 states and the District of Columbia have laws that increase penalties for those convicted of driving with elevated or high BAC levels.

HARDCORE DRUNK DRIVERS

Hardcore drunk drivers are those drivers who drive with a high BAC of .15 or above, who do so repeatedly, as demonstrated by having more than one drunk driving arrest, and who are highly resistant to changing their behavior despite previous sanctions, treatment, or education efforts.

RATES PER 100,000 POPULATION

The rate of alcohol-impaired fatalities per 100,000 population is the number of alcohol-impaired fatalities for every 100,000 persons in the population being measured. For example, an alcohol-impaired fatality rate of 3.3 per 100,000 population nationally means that for every 100,000 people in the nation, there were approximately three alcohol-impaired fatalities.

REPEAT OFFENDERS
The NHTSA/FARS data records prior driving records (convictions only, not violations) for driving while intoxicated events occurring within three years of the date of the crash. The same driver can have one or more of these convictions during this three year period. Drivers who have a prior conviction in this three year period are reported as repeat offenders.

The Century Council

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

Foreword
The Century Council is pleased to present its annual summary of the State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America for 2010. This overview includes graphs that summarize the latest available alcohol-impaired traffic fatality statistics in the U.S. detailed state-by-state as well as more than 20 years of trend data, and highlights hardcore drunk driver statistics and the impact these offenders continue to have on our roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the number of motorists and the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2010 increased, while the number of people who died on our nations roadways decreased three percent from 33,883 to 32,885 and the number of people injured remained about the same from 2009 to 2010. Accounting for 31 percent of all traffic fatalities, alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities decreased five percent from 10,759 in 2009 to 10,228 in 2010. Thirty states and D.C. reported reductions in the number of driving fatalities and 33 states and D.C. experienced a decline in drunk driving fatalities. Since NHTSA began recording alcohol-impaired driving statistics in 1982, drunk driving fatalities have steadily declined overall and among persons under 21. Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities decreased 52% from 21,113 in 1982 to 10,228 in 2010. Among individuals under 21 years of age, the number of people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes decreased 76% from a record high of 5,215 in 1982 to 1,228 in 2010 a 12 percent decrease from 1,391 in 2009. In 2010, the alcohol-impaired driving fatality rate per 100,000 population fell to a new record low of 3.3, a six percent decrease from 2009. Among those under 21 the rate also reached an historic low 1.4 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population a decrease of 12.5 percent from 2009 to 2010. Hardcore drunk drivers, those who drive at high BACs (0.15 or above), do so repeatedly as demonstrated by having more than one drunk driving arrest, and are highly resistant to changing their behavior despite previous sanctions, treatment or education, continue to account for a disproportionate share of alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities each year. In 2010, 60% of alcohol-involved driving fatalities, where there is a known alcohol test result for the driver, involved a high BAC driver a trend that has remained relatively unchanged for more than a decade. Furthermore, 42% of drivers involved in fatal crashes with a prior DWI conviction in the past three years also had a BAC level of 0.15 or higher at the time of the crash. Despite the progress that has been made the statistics remain alarming on average one person dies in a drunk driving fatality every 51 minutes. No simple solution or single law or one-size-fits-all technology will be solely effective in stopping the most serious DWI offenders. Hardcore drunk driving remains a behavioral challenge and a top priority for The Century Council. As part of its continued commitment to eliminate drunk driving, The Century Council will launch later this year a first of its kind, comprehensive online resource to assist criminal justice stakeholders in dealing with drunk driving offenders. The Promising Criminal Justice Programs for DWI Offenders resource will highlight demonstrated programs that lead to behavior modification among offenders, improve outcomes in the criminal justice system, and are simple to implement and replicate. This resource will be a valuable tool for community agencies, practitioners, grant seekers and other interested community members seeking easy access to promising programs, practices, and protocols to promote behavior changes leading to a reduction in hardcore drunk driver recidivism. Additionally, The Century Council and the Virginia Supreme Court have teamed up to create a resource for judges to use during the licensing ceremony and for other stakeholders to use in their teen driving safety efforts. It presents a unique and important opportunity to underscore safe driving facts and to help parents sustain a positive and potentially lifesaving influence on their teens newfound freedom. The information presented in this report is drawn from several databases maintained by government agencies, including the National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) of NHTSA, which compiles crash data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), and the U.S. Census Bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This report reflects data from 1982 to the present utilizing NHTSAs multiple imputation method for estimating missing information about BAC levels for persons involved in fatal crashes, thus allowing for improved reporting of alcohol involvement statistics at any BAC level. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes state resident population estimates which were used in this report.

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

The Century Council

2010 Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities

U.S. TOTAL: 10,228
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
0

278 16 193 173 791 127 121 36 5 660 298 42 71 297 195 90 168 171 225 37 154 114 230 126 236 259 73 52 68 45 153 111 365 388 47 341 220 71 433 26 357 37 284 1,259 44 17 211 170 87 206 54
250 500 750 1,000 1,250 1,500

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS, 1/12 Total may not equal the sum of states due to rounding.

The Century Council

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

2010 Under 21 Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities

U.S. TOTAL: 1,228
40 Alabama 2 Alaska 21 Arizona 17 Arkansas California 18 Colorado 14 Connecticut 4 Delaware D.C. 0 Florida 30 Georgia 8 Hawaii 11 Idaho 39 Illinois 19 Indiana 12 Iowa 28 Kansas 11 Kentucky 32 Louisiana 6 Maine 15 Maryland 14 Massachusetts 25 Michigan 16 Minnesota 31 Mississippi 20 Missouri 16 Montana 6 Nebraska 4 Nevada 3 New Hampshire 13 New Jersey 17 New Mexico 52 New York 53 North Carolina 4 North Dakota 43 Ohio 24 Oklahoma 7 Oregon 51 Pennsylvania 2 Rhode Island 38 South Carolina 3 South Dakota 24 Tennessee Texas 9 Utah 3 Vermont 29 Virginia 23 Washington 6 West Virginia 24 Wisconsin 2 Wyoming
0 50

94

69

179

100

150

200

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS, 1/12 Total may not equal the sum of states due to rounding.

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

The Century Council

From 2009 to 2010, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities declined nationally and in 33 states and D.C.
PERCENT CHANGE IN ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITIES FROM 2009 TO 2010 BY STATE RANK
D.C. Oregon South Dakota Vermont Alaska Rhode Island Nebraska Louisiana West Virginia Hawaii Delaware Colorado Maine Washington Florida North Dakota California Missouri Virginia Arizona Kentucky Georgia Montana Iowa Maryland Indiana Michigan Illinois Tennessee South Carolina Oklahoma New Mexico Nevada Wisconsin Arkansas Texas Mississippi Alabama Ohio New Jersey Utah Massachusetts North Carolina Pennsylvania Wyoming New York Minnesota Idaho Connecticut Kansas New Hampshire
-50.0% -38.3% -31.5% -29.2% -27.3% -25.7% -23.5% -22.4% -22.3% -20.8% -20.0% -19.6% -19.6% -17.9% -15.1% -14.5% -14.4% -14.2% -12.8% -11.9% -11.4% -10.5% -9.9% -8.2% -6.7% -5.8% -5.3% -5.1% -5.0% -4.5% -3.9% -1.8% -1.4% -1.4% 0.0% 0.5% 1.3% 4.1% 4.9% 5.5% 7.3% 7.5% 8.4% 8.5% 12.5% 15.1% 17.8% 20.3% 24.7% 36.6% 55.2%

U.S. Total
-75.0% -50.0% 25.0%

-4.9%
0.0% 25.0% 50.0% 75.0%

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS, 1/12

The Century Council

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

Between 2009 and 2010, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities among those under 21 decreased nationally and in 31 states and D.C.
PERCENT CHANGE IN UNDER 21 ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITIES FROM 2009 TO 2010 BY STATE RANK
D.C. Wyoming South Dakota Rhode Island New Hampshire Missouri West Virginia Maryland Hawaii North Dakota Oregon New Mexico California Alaska Delaware Wisconsin Kentucky New Jersey Nebraska Louisiana Nevada Florida Washington Mississippi South Carolina Virginia Georgia Arizona Iowa Tennessee Michigan Texas Colorado Maine Massachusetts Oklahoma Indiana Connecticut Illinois New York Arkansas Ohio Minnesota Montana North Carolina Alabama Pennsylvania Idaho Kansas Vermont Utah
-100.0% -81.8% -80.0% -75.0% -57.1% -52.4% -45.5% -44.4% -42.9% -42.9% -41.7% -39.3% -37.7% -33.3% -33.3% -31.4% -31.3% -27.8% -25.0% -20.0% -20.0% -18.8% -17.9% -16.2% -9.5% -9.4% -9.1% -8.7% -7.7% -7.7% -7.4% -2.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 4.3% 5.6% 7.7% 8.3% 13.0% 13.3% 19.4% 23.1% 23.1% 26.2% 29.0% 34.2% 37.5% 47.4% 50.0% 80.0%

U.S. Total
-100.0% -50.0%

-11.7%
0.0% 200.0% 300.0%
Data Source: NHTSA/FARS, 1/12

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

The Century Council

Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities from 1982-2010

ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITIES HAVE DECLINED 52% FROM 1982 TO 2010.
22,000 20,000 18,000 16,000

21,113
SINCE 1982 52%

TRENDS SINCE 1991 35%

SINCE 2000 23%

15,827
14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000

13,324

10,228
06 03 00 04 02 96 93 90 86 88 94 92 83 89 82 84 85 87 99 98 95 91 97 09 08 05 01 07 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 20 10

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS, 1/12

ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITIES PER 100,000 POPULATION HAVE DECLINED 64% SINCE 1982.
9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0
06 20 20 20 20 20 20
Data Source: NHTSA/FARS and U.S. Census Bureau, 1/12

9.1

7.6

7.1

5.1

4.7

4.6

3.3
09 20 10 03 00 04 02 96 93 83 90 86 88 94 92 82 84 89 85 87 99 98 95 91 97 08 05 01 07

20

20

20

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

The Century Council

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

Under 21 Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities from 1982-2010

UNDER 21 ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITIES HAVE DECLINED 76% FROM 1982 TO 2010.
6,000

5,215
5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0

SINCE 1982 76%

TRENDS SINCE 1991 58%

SINCE 2000 46%

2,905 2,265

1,228

06

03

00

04

02

96

93

90

83

86

88

94

92

82

84

89

85

87

98

99

95

91

97

09

08

05

01

07

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS, 1/12

AMONG THOSE UNDER 21, ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITIES PER 100,000 POPULATION DECREASED 80% SINCE 1982.
7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0
06 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Data Source: NHTSA/FARS and U.S. Census Bureau, 1/12

6.9

5.1

4.5

2.7

2.7

2.3

20

20 20

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

1.4
09 20 10 03 00 04 02 96 93 83 90 86 88 94 92 82 84 89 85 87 99 98 95 91 97 08 05 01 07

20

20

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

20

10

10

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

The Century Council

In 25 states and D.C., alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population were below the national average of 3.3 deaths per 100,000 population.
2010 ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITY RATES BY STATE

0.0-2.0 2.1-4.0 4.1-6.0 6.1-8.0 8.1+

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho

5.8 2.2 3.0 5.9 2.1 2.5 3.4 4.0 0.8 3.5 3.1 3.1 4.5

Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri

2.3 3.0 3.0 5.9 3.9 5.0 2.8 2.7 1.7 2.3 2.4 7.9 4.3

Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania

7.4 2.8 2.5 3.4 1.7 5.4 1.9 4.1 7.0 3.0 5.8 1.8 3.4

Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming U.S. Total

2.5 7.7 4.5 4.5 5.0 1.6 2.7 2.6 2.5 4.7 3.6 9.6 3.3

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS and U.S. Census Bureau, 1/12

The Century Council

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

11

In 30 states and D.C., under 21 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population were at or below the national average of 1.4 deaths per 100,000 population.
2010 UNDER 21 ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITY RATES BY STATE

0.0-2.0 2.1-4.0 4.1-6.0 6.1-8.0 8.1+

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho

3.0 0.9 1.1 2.0 0.9 1.3 1.5 1.6 0.0 1.4 1.0 2.2 2.2

Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri

1.1 1.0 1.4 3.3 0.9 2.4 1.8 0.9 0.8 0.9 1.1 3.5 1.2

Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania

6.0 1.1 0.5 0.9 0.5 2.8 1.0 2.0 2.2 1.3 2.2 0.7 1.5

Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming U.S. Total

0.7 2.9 1.3 1.4 2.2 0.9 1.9 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.4

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS and U.S. Census Bureau, 1/12

12

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

The Century Council

Over the past decade alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population declined in all but six states from 2000 to 2010.
PERCENT CHANGE IN ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITY RATES FROM 2000 TO 2010 BY STATE RANK
Alaska D.C. Utah Arizona Nevada Oregon South Dakota West Virginia Minnesota Missouri Colorado Michigan Georgia Illinois Tennessee Louisiana Florida Vermont New Jersey New Mexico Wisconsin Montana Idaho Washington Virginia Nebraska Texas North Carolina Delaware Kentucky Ohio Massachusetts Alabama California Mississippi Rhode Island Iowa Pennsylvania South Carolina Indiana Maryland Maine Hawaii Connecticut Arkansas New Hampshire New York Oklahoma Kansas North Dakota Wyoming
-70.7% -68.5% -57.7% -55.2% -53.0% -50.8% -48.9% -46.7% -45.0% -43.9% -43.6% -42.2% -41.8% -41.1% -38.6% -37.5% -36.9% -36.3% -35.4% -35.2% -34.3% -34.1% -34.0% -33.8% -33.3% -32.4% -30.3% -30.2% -28.5% -28.2% -28.1% -27.7% -27.1% -27.1% -25.1% -23.7% -23.5% -21.5% -20.1% -19.4% -11.1% -11.0% -11.0% -9.8% -2.1% 0.9% 8.7% 12.9% 16.4% 20.9% 21.3%

U.S. Total
-100.0% -75.0% -50.0%

-30.0%
-25.0% 0.0% 25.0% 50.0%

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS and U.S. Census Bureau, 1/12

The Century Council

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

13

Only three states did not experience a decline in under 21 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population from 2000 and 2010.
PERCENT CHANGE IN UNDER 21 ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED DRIVING FATALITY RATES FROM 2000 TO 2010 BY STATE RANK
D.C. Alaska Missouri Nevada Arizona Wyoming Rhode Island South Dakota Nebraska West Virginia Oregon New Jersey Kentucky Georgia Tennessee Wisconsin Minnesota Iowa New Hampshire Maryland California Michigan New Mexico Illinois Florida Texas North Dakota Delaware Colorado Virginia North Carolina Pennsylvania Utah Mississippi Massachusetts Washington Ohio Indiana Louisiana Vermont South Carolina Maine Alabama Arkansas Idaho Montana Connecticut Kansas New York Oklahoma Hawaii
-100.0% -84.8% -80.1% -79.5% -77.5% -76.1% -73.3% -72.7% -70.5% -70.4% -66.1% -65.1% -64.2% -63.7% -60.7% -59.8% -57.8% -55.2% -55.0% -54.2% -52.6% -52.4% -51.6% -48.5% -48.2% -47.8% -47.3% -46.9% -44.1% -43.9% -43.0% -42.1% -41.1% -40.8% -40.2% -39.4% -37.4% -35.9% -35.5% -34.5% -31.1% -28.6% -22.9% -22.6% -19.9% -14.0% -6.3% -1.3% 3.5% 21.7% 28.5%

U.S. Total
-125.0% -100.0% -75.0%

-47.7%
-50.0% -25.0% 0.0% 25.0% 50.0%

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS and U.S. Census Bureau, 1/12

14

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

The Century Council

In 2010, 60% of the alcohol-involved driving fatalities involved high BAC drivers.
PERCENT OF 2010 DRIVERS IN ALCOHOL-INVOLVED DRIVING FATALITIES BY BAC TEST RESULT
41%

9% 8% 6% 5% 4% 4% 5% 8%

10%

BAC .01-.02

BAC .03-.04

BAC .05-.06

BAC .07-.08

BAC .09-.10

BAC .11-.12

BAC .13-.14

BAC .15-.16

BAC .17-.18

BAC .19+

Known Alcohol Test Results of Drivers Involved in Fatal Traffic Crashes

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS ARF of Drivers with Known BAC, 1/12 Total may not equal the sum of categories due to rounding.

The Century Council

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

15

Seven out of ten drivers involved in fatal drunk driving crashes in 2010 are hardcore drunk drivers.
HIGH BAC DRIVERS ACCOUNTED FOR 70% OF THE ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED FATAL CRASHES.
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming U.S. Total
% BAC = .08-.14
0% 20%

% BAC .15-.19
40%

% BAC .20+
60%

Percent of 2010 Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities by State and BAC

80% 100%

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS - 2010 ARF, 1/12

16

2010 State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America

The Century Council

Four out of ten drivers involved in fatal crashes with a prior DWI* also had a high BAC level at the time of the crash.

No Prior DWI 94%

Prior DWI* 3% Unknown 3%

Drivers involved in fatal crashes

BAC = .15+ 42%

BAC = .08-.14 13% BAC = .01-.07 6% BAC = .00 38%

Repeat offenders by BAC level

Data Source: NHTSA/FARS, 1/12 *Prior convictions only for events occurring within 3 years from date of crash. Total may not equal the sum of categories due to rounding.

www.centurycouncil.org

2345 Crystal Dr., Suite 910 Arlington, VA 22202 (202) 637-0077