Current Trends
Alcohol-Related traffic Fatalities - United States, 1982-1989
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in the United
States for all age groups from 1 through 34 years (1). Almost
half of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related (2,3), and an
estimated 40% of all persons in the United States may be involved
in an alcohol-related traffic crash sometime during their lives
(3). This report summarizes data from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatal Accident Reporting
System on trends in alcohol-related traffic fatalities (ARTFs) in
the United States during 1982-1989.
A fatal traffic crash is considered alcohol-related by NHTSA if
either a driver or nonoccupant (e.g., a pedestrian) had a blood
alcohol concentration (BAC) of greater than or equal to 0.01 g
divided by L in a police-reported traffic crash. NHTSA defines a
BAC of greater than or equal to 0.01 g divided by L but less than
0.10 g divided by L as indicating a low level of alcohol and a
BAC of greater than or equal to 0.10 g divided by L (the legal
level of intoxication in most states) as indicating intoxication.
Because BAC levels are not available for all persons involved in
fatal crashes, NHTSA estimates the number of ARTFs based on a
discriminant analysis of information from all cases for which
driver or nonoccupant BAC data are available (4).
From 1982 through 1989, the estimated number of fatalities in
crashes in which at least one driver or nonoccupant was
intoxicated decreased 12%, from 20,356 to 17,849 (Table 1).
During the same period, the estimated number of intoxicated
drivers involved in fatal crashes decreased 13%, from 16,793 to
14,644 (Table 2). The estimated number of drivers with low-level
BAC involved in fatal crashes decreased 9%, from 4987 to 4540
(Table 2); however, the percentage of total fatalities involving
a driver or nonoccupant with a low-level BAC remained between 10%
and 11% (Table 1).
Reported by: ME Vegega, PhD, Office of Alcohol and State
Programs, Traffic Safety Programs; TM Klein, National Center for
Statistics and Analysis, Research and Development, National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Epidemiology Br, Div of
Injury Control, Center for Environmental Health and Injury
Control, CDC.
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: Although the number of ARTFs in the United States
has decreased since 1982, alcohol-impaired driving remains a
serious public health problem (5): in 1989, greater than 22,000
ARTFs occurred in the United States. Moreover, the rate of
decline in ARTFs has slowed (average annual decrease during
1982-1985: 3.7%; average annual decrease during 1985-1989: 1.7%)
(Table 1). During 1982-1985, the reduction in alcohol-related
fatal crashes resulted from a decreased proportion of fatal
crashes involving persons with BAC levels greater than or equal
to 0.10 g divided by L (Table 1). The reduction since 1986
appears to reflect a decreased proportion of fatal crashes
involving both drivers with low-level BACs and drivers with BACs
greater than or equal to 0.10 g divided by L (Table 2).
Factors that may have contributed to the reduction in ARTFs
include 1) changes in state laws and stricter enforcement of
these laws, 2) increases in the minimum legal drinking age in 35
states from 1982 through 1987, 3) increased media attention
resulting in increased public awareness, and 4) increased number
of programs emphasizing responsible behavior and alternatives to
drinking and driving (e.g., education of persons who serve
alcoholic beverages and designation of nondrinking drivers) (6).
NHTSA program efforts for further reducing alcohol-impaired
driving and continuing the downward trend in alcohol-related
fatal crashes include 1) supporting activities to promote prompt
license suspension for persons who drive while intoxicated, 2)
supporting expanded use of sobriety checkpoints, 3) developing
enforcement policies specific to reducing alcohol-impaired
driving among youth, and 4) educating the public about
alcohol-impaired driving, particularly among youth (7).
References
NCHS. Health, United States, 1988. Washington, DC: US
Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service,
CDC, 1989; DHHS publication no. (PHS)89-1232.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Fatal Accident
Reporting System, 1988: a review of information on fatal traffic
accidents in the United States in 1988. Washington, DC: US
Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 1989; publication no. HS-807-507.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drunk driving
facts. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1989.
Klein TM. A method for estimating posterior BAC distributions
for persons involved in fatal traffic accidents: final report.
Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, 1986; DOT report no. HS-807-094.
Office of the Surgeon General. Surgeon General's Workshop on
Drunk Driving: proceedings. Washington DC: US Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 1989.
Fell JC, Nash CE. The nature of the alcohol problem in U.S.
fatal crashes. Health Educ Q 1989;16:335-43.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Highway
safety: priority plan--moving America into the 21st century.
Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, 1990.
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