Fewer Drunk-Driving Fatalities Nationwide

Fewer Drunk-Driving Fatalities Nationwide
September 2, 2008

News Summary

Drunk-driving fatalities declined 3.7 percent nationally last year, according to a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Insurance Journal reported Aug. 29 that alcohol-related traffic fatalities also declined in 32 of the 50 U.S. states. However, more motorcyclists died in crashes involving alcohol, NHTSA found, with increases in such deaths reported in 25 states.

An estimated 12,998 people died in alcohol-related crashes last year, down from 13,491 in 2006, NHTSA reported. The figures came from the agency's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (PDF link).

In an August 28 press release commenting on the findings, Mothers Against Drunk Driving called on all states to further reduce DUI fatalities by passing legislation mandating alcohol ignition interlocks in the vechicles of all convicted drunk drivers, noting the recent failure of such efforts in California and Texas.

MADD also chided Wisconsin and South Carolina for being the two states that saw an increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities, citing less effective laws in those states.

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:

Posted by ichoosefreedom on 03 Sep 08 10:12 AM EDT

Interesting. There may be less fatalities, but AOL reported there are more dui's, which is attributed to people driving to places where they and smoke and now, thanks to your smoking bans, more people are now drinking at home where there is no one who dares cut them off nor brave enought to tell them they can't get in the car to drive. You can spin this anyway you want, but the bottom line is there are now MORE DUI's because of your denormalization of smoking, forcing the smokers and drinkers to meet at each other's houses to party or to party at home. Way to go, JT, ACS, RWJF, AHA!! You only have yourselves to thank.

Posted by question mark on 03 Sep 08 11:49 AM EDT

ichoosefreedom, your rationalization doesn't make sense. smoking bans are one possible reason for increased duis, but could it also possibly be better policing? more stringent laws? an increase in dui does not necessarily mean more people are drinking and driving. particularly since there are fewer alcohol related crashes. and furthermore, if more people are forced to drink at home, as you presume is a result of a smoking ban, that would mean fewer people driving drunk, not more. your theory is full of holes.

Posted by Jim on 04 Sep 08 06:49 AM EDT

In prior years NHTSA included deaths from accidents in which the highest BAC was less than .08, and deaths to impaired pedestrians, etc. Why the change? Are you less dead if the driver was less drunk? Are they just trying to come up with better numbers?

Posted by tokerdesigner on 04 Sep 08 04:46 PM EDT

1. Think this over, ichoose: cigaret smoking actually increases drunk driving fatalities! (A) Even more than "one for the road: make mine coffee", a cigaret "clears" a drunk's mind, helps him "concentrate", and emboldens him to try driving ("I can't leave the car in this neighborhood"). (B) If he runs out of cigarets, the alcoholic haze returns, causing an accident which they'll blame on the alcohol. (C) He may try driving out of his way to find a place to buy more cigarets, and make a mistake on an unfamiliar road. (D)If he keeps smoking, carbon monoxide may build up inside the car leading to highway hypnosis and an accident. (2) Similar to vehicular homicide, the other kind: how many times did a cigaret "concentrate" an angry drunk's mind and help him remember to bring the gun along?

Posted by Lisa on 08 Sep 08 10:31 AM EDT

I wish MADD would reconsider the ignition interlock legislation, it is impractical for so many reasons, first one being, people can just drive a different car, in my experience DUI offenders are very resourceful at getting around the device.

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