Impaired Driving
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General Statistics
- Young drivers are less likely than adults to drink and drive, but their crash risk is substantially higher when they do, even with low or moderate blood-alcohol levels.1
- The number of 15- to 20-year-old drivers involved in fatal crashes who had a BAC of .01 g/dL or higher rose from 38 percent in 2008 to 41 percent in 2011.2
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the lives of approximately 27,052 18- to 20-year-olds were saved between 1975 and 2006 due to National Minimum Drinking Age (NMDA) laws, as well as 714 lives in 2008 alone.3
- 24 percent of teen passengers report recently* riding with a teen driver who had been drinking.4
- Only 8 percent of teens report recently* driving a car after drinking in 2011, a 2 percent drop since 2008.4
*at least once during prior month
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Source:
- Zador PL, Krawchuck SA, Voas RB. Relative Risk of Fatal Crash Involvement by BAC, Age and Gender. Washington, D.C.: National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation.
- Fatality Analysis Reporting System, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Q&As: Teenagers – Underage Drinking. 2009.
- 2011 Youth Behavior Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
