Fatality Facts 2007

Alcohol

Overview | Age and gender | When alcohol-impaired crashes occur

The probability of a fatal crash rises significantly after 0.05 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and even more rapidly after 0.08 percent.¹ Drivers with very high BACs (at or above 0.15 percent) have a very high risk of dying in a crash or getting severely injured. ^1,2 All states have enacted a law defining impairment as driving with a BAC at or above 0.08 percent.

Progress has been made during the past 25 years to reduce the proportion of fatally injured drivers with BACs at or above 0.08 percent. There also has been a substantial decline among those with very high BACs (at or above 0.15 percent), who often are assumed to be "hard-core" drinking drivers. However, progress has stalled in the past decade and alcohol-impaired driving is still a major problem. An estimated 8,916 deaths would have been prevented in 2005 if all drivers on the road had BACs below 0.08 percent.³ A similar number would have been prevented in 2007.

Drivers younger than 21 are more vulnerable than older drivers to the impairing effects of alcohol. At the same BAC, young drivers are far more likely to get into a fatal or nonfatal crash.^1,2 The minimum drinking age is 21 throughout the United States. In addition, all states have "zero tolerance" laws that prohibit people younger than 21 from driving after drinking. Typically, these laws prohibit driving with a BAC of 0.02 percent or greater. In recent years, drivers younger than 21 killed in crashes are about half as likely as fatally injured drivers ages 21-30 to have a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher.

The information in this fact sheet is based on data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia with imputations for missing BACs provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation's multiple imputation model.⁴

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Overview

The percentage of fatally injured motor vehicle drivers with BACs at or above 0.08 percent declined steadily from the 1980s to the mid-1990s, resulting in a 34 percent decline. Since then, little progress has been made. Since 1994 about a third of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers have had BACs of 0.08 percent or above. In 2007, the fatally injured drivers with the lowest proportion of BACs at or above 0.08 percent were large-truck drivers (2 percent) and the group with the highest proportion was pedestrians ages 16 and older (37 percent). Alcohol-impaired driving is also a major factor in motorcyclist deaths: 28 percent of fatally injured motorcycle drivers had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher in 2007.

Percent of fatally injured people with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent by type, 1982-2007

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured people with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent, 1982-2007
Year	All drivers			Passenger vehicle drivers			Large-truck drivers			Motorcycle drivers			Pedestrians (age ≥ 16)
	Deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08		Deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08		Deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08		Deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08		Deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08
	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%
1982	24,690	12,139	49	19,663	10,023	51	735	123	17	3,723	1,810	49	5,993	2,668	45
1983	24,138	11,543	48	19,337	9,529	49	767	115	15	3,592	1,783	50	5,582	2,486	45
1984	25,589	11,499	45	20,298	9,378	46	859	107	12	3,896	1,834	47	5,755	2,439	42
1985	25,337	10,685	42	20,057	8,674	43	775	84	11	3,896	1,756	45	5,539	2,263	41
1986	26,630	11,409	43	21,503	9,396	44	736	58	8	3,790	1,772	47	5,547	2,242	40
1987	26,833	11,058	41	22,157	9,343	42	686	53	8	3,409	1,499	44	5,597	2,176	39
1988	27,253	11,103	41	22,884	9,580	42	743	66	9	3,139	1,338	43	5,701	2,162	38
1989	26,389	10,637	40	22,554	9,200	41	681	68	10	2,682	1,233	46	5,557	2,186	39
1990	25,750	10,395	40	21,953	8,973	41	570	50	9	2,790	1,235	44	5,488	2,137	39
1991	23,930	9,485	40	20,551	8,242	40	550	39	7	2,404	1,059	44	4,880	1,895	39
1992	22,584	8,452	37	19,573	7,434	38	506	26	5	2,079	873	42	4,734	1,861	39
1993	23,142	8,322	36	20,036	7,328	37	504	26	5	2,120	825	39	4,740	1,856	39
1994	23,691	7,913	33	20,644	7,083	34	545	36	7	1,995	663	33	4,637	1,718	37
1995	24,390	8,307	34	21,456	7,488	35	546	31	6	1,939	664	34	4,783	1,793	37
1996	24,534	8,175	33	21,631	7,336	34	525	34	6	1,881	683	36	4,670	1,804	39
1997	24,667	7,843	32	21,702	7,062	33	616	19	3	1,878	622	33	4,621	1,638	35
1998	24,743	7,834	32	21,627	6,944	32	628	30	5	2,026	716	35	4,597	1,678	37
1999	25,257	7,918	31	21,899	6,994	32	631	28	4	2,223	736	33	4,325	1,646	38
2000	25,567	8,166	32	21,819	7,127	33	641	28	4	2,591	847	33	4,192	1,534	37
2001	25,869	8,252	32	21,862	7,205	33	591	22	4	2,886	853	30	4,368	1,558	36
2002	26,659	8,515	32	22,537	7,381	33	582	38	7	2,952	940	32	4,367	1,584	36
2003	26,779	8,354	31	22,200	7,120	32	608	23	4	3,358	1,010	30	4,298	1,560	36
2004	26,871	8,155	30	21,952	6,952	32	624	24	4	3,593	995	28	4,237	1,528	36
2005	27,491	8,489	31	21,953	7,104	32	663	22	3	4,142	1,141	28	4,458	1,559	35
2006	27,348	8,578	31	21,592	7,164	33	678	30	4	4,387	1,179	27	4,384	1,656	38
2007	26,480	8,644	33	20,381	7,042	35	661	16	2	4,727	1,335	28	4,256	1,585	37

The percentage of fatally injured drivers with BACs of 0.15 percent or higher has declined 33 percent since 1982 but with little change since 1996. About a quarter of passenger vehicle drivers killed in 2007 had BACs at or above 0.15 percent compared with 18 percent of fatally injured motorcycle drivers. A higher percentage of pedestrians (29 percent) killed had BACs at or above 0.15 percent than did any group of drivers.

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured people with BACs ≥ 0.15 percent, 1982-2007
Year	All drivers			Passenger vehicle drivers			Large-truck drivers			Motorcycle drivers			Pedestrians (age ≥ 16)
	Deaths	Estimated deaths with with BACs ≥ 0.15		Deaths	Estimated deaths with with BACs ≥ 0.15		Deaths	Estimated deaths with with BACs ≥ 0.15		Deaths	Estimated deaths with with BACs ≥ 0.15		Deaths	Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.15
	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%
1982	24,690	8,660	35	19,663	7,328	37	735	75	10	3,723	1,136	30	5,993	2,077	35
1983	24,138	8,240	34	19,337	6,969	36	767	79	10	3,592	1,115	31	5,582	1,945	35
1984	25,589	8,203	32	20,298	6,864	34	859	70	8	3,896	1,136	29	5,755	1,886	33
1985	25,337	7,521	30	20,057	6,269	31	775	55	7	3,896	1,085	28	5,539	1,732	31
1986	26,630	8,077	30	21,503	6,783	32	736	34	5	3,790	1,144	30	5,547	1,730	31
1987	26,833	7,968	30	22,157	6,854	31	686	34	5	3,409	966	28	5,597	1,735	31
1988	27,253	8,114	30	22,884	7,126	31	743	45	6	3,139	862	27	5,701	1,688	30
1989	26,389	7,774	29	22,554	6,847	30	681	49	7	2,682	791	29	5,557	1,706	31
1990	25,750	7,631	30	21,953	6,670	30	570	32	6	2,790	824	30	5,488	1,697	31
1991	23,930	7,014	29	20,551	6,192	30	550	24	4	2,404	697	29	4,880	1,512	31
1992	22,584	6,258	28	19,573	5,569	28	506	17	3	2,079	590	28	4,734	1,474	31
1993	23,142	6,104	26	20,036	5,494	27	504	14	3	2,120	505	24	4,740	1,499	32
1994	23,691	5,849	25	20,644	5,326	26	545	27	5	1,995	411	21	4,637	1,355	29
1995	24,390	6,018	25	21,456	5,495	26	546	19	3	1,939	415	21	4,783	1,394	29
1996	24,534	5,925	24	21,631	5,383	25	525	18	4	1,881	440	23	4,670	1,433	31
1997	24,667	5,668	23	21,702	5,158	24	616	14	2	1,878	400	21	4,621	1,329	29
1998	24,743	5,692	23	21,627	5,127	24	628	23	4	2,026	449	22	4,597	1,332	29
1999	25,257	5,678	22	21,899	5,108	23	631	22	3	2,223	440	20	4,325	1,292	30
2000	25,567	5,801	23	21,819	5,138	24	641	10	2	2,591	539	21	4,192	1,204	29
2001	25,869	5,976	23	21,862	5,328	24	591	17	3	2,886	522	18	4,368	1,232	28
2002	26,659	6,146	23	22,537	5,463	24	582	23	4	2,952	564	19	4,367	1,267	29
2003	26,779	6,010	22	22,200	5,258	24	608	15	2	3,358	609	18	4,298	1,254	29
2004	26,871	5,837	22	21,952	5,089	23	624	16	2	3,593	614	17	4,237	1,195	28
2005	27,491	6,073	22	21,953	5,220	24	663	14	2	4,142	684	17	4,458	1,246	28
2006	27,348	6,101	22	21,592	5,248	24	678	18	3	4,387	698	16	4,384	1,324	30
2007	26,480	6,229	24	20,381	5,200	26	661	10	2	4,727	833	18	4,256	1,251	29

Age and gender

Among fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2007, a higher proportion of males than females had BACs at or above 0.08 percent at every age. Overall 40 percent of males and 21 percent of females had BACs at or above 0.08 percent. The percentages were highest among males ages 21-40. The lowest percentages were observed among drivers older than 60, particularly females. Drivers younger than age 21 who were killed in crashes had far lower percentages of BACs of 0.08 percent or greater than drivers ages 21-30 who died: 28 percent versus 52 percent in 2007.

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent by driver age and gender, 2007
Age	Male			Female			Total*
	Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08		Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08		Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08
	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%
<16	53	14	25	20	2	11	73	16	21
16-20	1,898	619	33	813	134	16	2,711	753	28
21-30	3,812	2,170	57	1,189	407	34	5,002	2,577	52
31-40	2,135	1,150	54	825	245	30	2,960	1,395	47
41-50	2,092	939	45	946	275	29	3,038	1,214	40
51-60	1,774	589	33	744	94	13	2,518	683	27
61-70	1,088	211	19	509	36	7	1,597	247	15
>70	1,648	126	8	815	21	3	2,463	147	6
Total*	14,512	5,824	40	5,865	1,217	21	20,381	7,042	35
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Among fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2007, 30 percent of males and 15 percent of females had BACs at or above 0.15 percent.

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥ 0.15 percent by driver age and gender, 2007
Age	Male			Female			Total*
	Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.15		Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.15		Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.15
	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%
<16	53	6	12	20	2	8	73	8	11
16-20	1,898	388	20	813	78	10	2,711	466	17
21-30	3,812	1,613	42	1,189	299	25	5,002	1,912	38
31-40	2,135	882	41	825	185	22	2,960	1,067	36
41-50	2,092	760	36	946	205	22	3,038	966	32
51-60	1,774	454	26	744	68	9	2,518	522	21
61-70	1,088	152	14	509	24	5	1,597	177	11
>70	1,648	68	4	815	8	1	2,463	76	3
Total*	14,512	4,330	30	5,865	870	15	20,381	5,200	26
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Since the 1980s the proportion of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs at or above 0.08 percent declined more among 16-20 year-olds than among older drivers, but declines leveled off in 1995.

Percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent by driver age, 1982-2007

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08 percent by driver age, 1982-2007
Year	16-20			21-30			>30
	Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08		Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08		Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08
	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%	Num	Num	%
1982	3,456	1,826	53	6,243	3,948	63	9,861	4,208	43
1983	3,326	1,681	51	6,053	3,859	64	9,844	3,943	40
1984	3,441	1,595	46	6,411	3,885	61	10,337	3,860	37
1985	3,227	1,260	39	6,262	3,659	58	10,441	3,713	36
1986	3,636	1,495	41	6,695	3,974	59	11,042	3,887	35
1987	3,630	1,315	36	6,802	3,975	58	11,579	4,016	35
1988	3,788	1,358	36	6,819	3,991	59	12,145	4,203	35
1989	3,536	1,225	35	6,475	3,675	57	12,401	4,272	34
1990	3,397	1,198	35	6,152	3,510	57	12,274	4,238	35
1991	3,021	1,044	35	5,623	3,183	57	11,801	3,993	34
1992	2,697	829	31	5,122	2,759	54	11,639	3,823	33
1993	2,805	795	28	5,065	2,658	52	12,038	3,851	32
1994	2,990	800	27	4,975	2,484	50	12,522	3,771	30
1995	2,983	725	24	5,081	2,585	51	13,246	4,155	31
1996	3,026	769	25	4,989	2,475	50	13,478	4,070	30
1997	3,034	773	25	4,772	2,272	48	13,773	4,001	29
1998	3,094	767	25	4,577	2,222	49	13,839	3,930	28
1999	3,261	849	26	4,653	2,260	49	13,870	3,866	28
2000	3,250	844	26	4,706	2,268	48	13,743	3,997	29
2001	3,247	823	25	4,735	2,358	50	13,790	4,005	29
2002	3,452	873	25	4,938	2,462	50	14,006	4,020	29
2003	3,260	858	26	4,852	2,308	48	13,957	3,930	28
2004	3,175	815	26	4,970	2,372	48	13,689	3,743	27
2005	2,985	734	25	5,067	2,492	49	13,809	3,852	28
2006	3,020	831	28	5,159	2,535	49	13,321	3,779	28
2007	2,711	753	28	5,002	2,577	52	12,576	3,686	29

When alcohol-impaired crashes occur

Alcohol involvement in fatal crashes peaks at night. Between 9 pm and 6 am, 60 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2007 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, compared with 20 percent during other hours.

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with high BACs by nighttime vs. other times, 2007
Time of day	Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08		Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.15
Time of day	Num	Num	%	Num	%
9pm-6am	7,455	4,492	60	3,380	45
Other hours	12,926	2,550	20	1,821	14
Total	20,381	7,042	35	5,200	26

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with high BACs by time of day, 2007
Time of day	Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08		Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.15
Time of day	Num	Num	%	Num	%
Midnight-3am	2,874	2,024	70	1,543	54
3am-6am	1,956	1,098	56	796	41
6am-9am	2,304	353	15	237	10
9am-noon	2,128	190	9	124	6
Noon-3pm	2,683	352	13	251	9
3pm-6pm	3,054	574	19	421	14
6pm-9pm	2,554	961	38	700	27
9pm-midnight	2,625	1,370	52	1,041	40
Total*	20,381	7,042	35	5,200	26
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Forty-seven percent of passenger vehicle drivers fatally injured on weekends (6 pm Friday to 6 am Monday) in 2007 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent, compared with 26 percent at other times.

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with high BACs by weekend vs. other times, 2007
	Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08		Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.15
	Num	Num	%	Num	%
Weekend (6pm Friday-6am Monday)	8,253	3,918	47	2,906	35
Other times	12,128	3,124	26	2,295	19
Total	20,381	7,042	35	5,200	26

Alcohol involvement is very high in nighttime (9 pm to 6 am) single-vehicle crashes, in which 69 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers in 2007 had BACs at or above 0.08 percent. An additional 6 percent had BACs of 0.01 to 0.07 percent. Changes in nighttime single-vehicle crashes often are used to measure the changing role of alcohol in highway crashes and crash deaths.

Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers by BAC, time, and crash type, 2007
		Drivers killed	Estimated drivers killed with BACs = 0		Estimated drivers killed with 0.01 ≤ BACs ≤ 0.07		Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08		Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.15
		Num	Num	%	Num	%	Num	%	Num	%
Single vehicle	Night	5,054	1,259	25	292	6	3,503	69	2,649	52
Single vehicle	Day	5,373	3,506	65	207	4	1,660	31	1,212	23
Multiple vehicle	Night	2,397	1,277	53	132	6	988	41	730	30
Multiple vehicle	Day	7,335	6,338	86	228	3	769	10	520	7

References

¹Zador, P.L.; Krawchuck, S.; and Voas, R.B. 2000. Alcohol-related relative risk of driver fatalities and driver involvement in fatal crashes in relation to driver age and gender: an update using 1996 data. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 61:387-95.

²Peck, R.C.; Gebers, M.A.; Voas, R.B.; and Romano, E. 2008. The relationship between blood alcohol concentration (BAC), age, and crash risk. Journal of Safety Research 39:311-19.

³Lund, A.K.; McCartt, A.T.; and Farmer, C.M. 2007. Contribution of alcohol-impaired driving to motor vehicle crash deaths in 2005. Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety (CD-ROM). Oslo, Norway: International Council on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety.

⁴Subramanian, R. 2002. Transitioning to multiple imputation — a new method to impute missing blood alcohol concentration (BAC) values in FARS. Report no. DOT HS-809-403. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.