Alcohol & drugs

Fatality Facts: Alcohol

Q&As

Alcohol: general

Administrative license suspension

Alcohol deterrence & enforcement

Teenagers: underage drinking

State laws

DUI/DWI laws

State court decisions on the constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints

Consumer video available for purchase

Sober thoughts on drinking and driving — People are becoming more responsible about how they use alcohol in relation to driving. Still, there's plenty of alcohol-impaired driving left. Too many people are dying. This video focuses on a range of effective measures to reduce the problem.

Research paper

Contribution of alcohol-impaired driving to motor vehicle crash deaths in 2010; Adrian K. Lund, Anne T. McCartt, Charles M. Farmer, May 2012

Selected research bibliography

Highlights from the Institute's research since 1969

Presentation

October 9, 2007 Protecting teens from the dangers of alcohol use and abuse: wishful thinking versus science; convened by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, American Medical Association, National Transportation Safety Board, and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to support 21 minimum drinking age; presentation by Adrian Lund, IIHS president

News releases

March 6, 2012 Interlocks for first-time DUI convictions cut repeat offenses; Washington study supports mandatory interlock laws

September 17, 2009 New survey results: stop anyone impaired by alcohol from driving any vehicle, public says

December 20, 2000 Best & worst state traffic safety laws: some states do a better job than others

March 21, 1997 Fewer drinking drivers on the road but alcohol-impaired driving still a problem, new national roadside breath-test survey finds

Status Report newsletter special issues

Vol. 42, No. 5, May 12, 2007: Special issue: one day of crashes — the stories of some of the 119 people killed in crashes on June 7, 2005

Vol. 40, No. 4, April 2, 2005: Special issue: alcohol-impaired driving

Vol. 35, No. 10, December 20, 2000: Special issue: state traffic safety laws: includes information on DUI/DWI laws

Status Report newsletter articles

Vol. 48, No. 2, March 14, 2013: South Dakota alcohol monitoring program reduces repeat DUIs

Vol. 47, No. 7, September 20, 2012: U.S. surface transportation reauthorization law includes provisions for LATCH, belt reminders, teen driver laws and impaired driving research

Vol. 47, No. 2, March 6, 2012: Alcohol ignition interlocks are reducing recidivism among drivers convicted of DUI in Washington

Vol. 46, No. 10, November 17, 2011: Alcohol-detection device project is now in development phase

Vol. 45, No. 12, December 2, 2010: Drivers say texting, speeding, and running red lights are risky but admit to doing them anyway

Vol. 45, No. 6, June 22, 2010: Ignition interlocks prove more attractive to DWI offenders than house arrest

Vol. 45, No. 6, June 22, 2010: Raising alcohol prices and taxes reduces excessive drinking, alcohol-related crashes, and other harm, task force finds

Vol. 45, No. 1, February 6, 2010: Alcohol use is down sharply among nighttime drivers on weekends, but impairment remains a big problem in fatal crashes

Vol. 44, No. 8, September 17, 2009: Alcohol detection devices for all drivers garner widespread support

Vol. 44, No. 7, July 11, 2009: Alcohol ignition interlocks are required equipment for first-time DUI offenders in additional states • Interlocks would have saved 8,893 lives in 2007 by preventing alcohol-impaired people from driving

Vol. 43, No. 11, December 27, 2008: 21 drinking age laws in US states are effective, multiple studies indicate • Changes in drinking age laws • New groups question effectiveness of 21, ignoring decades of research

Vol. 43, No. 6, July 24, 2008: College town alcohol campaign lowers nighttime drinking and driving among target group of teens and young adults

Vol. 42, No. 10, October 13, 2007: Reducing BACs to the legal limit (less than 0.08 percent) could save almost 9,000 lives per year • Another new study quantifies the benefits of reducing BACs

Vol. 41, No. 9, November 21, 2006: Fatality Facts — no progress is being made against DWI

Vol. 41, No. 7, September 7, 2006: Focusing on hard-core drinking drivers can be counterproductive if other impaired drivers get a pass • Zero tolerance isn't a very effective policy in some states, but Washington is an exception

Vol. 40, No. 7, August 6, 2005: Highway safety update: DWI laws

Vol. 39, No. 7, August 1, 2004: Now all states have 0.08 BAC laws

Vol. 39, No. 6, July 3, 2004: Highway safety update: Minnesota's BAC law

Vol. 39, No. 2, February 7, 2004: Prior violations, including serious ones like DWI, often aren't reflected on public driving records

Vol. 38, No. 9, September 25, 2003: State legislative update: alcohol-impaired driving

Vol. 38, No. 2, February 8, 2003: Deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers aren't declining anymore • Sobriety checkpoints are effective, international review by CDC finds

Vol. 38, No. 1, January 11, 2003: Many drivers with high BACs who are killed in crashes don't fit profile of a hardcore drinker

Vol. 37, No. 3, March 16, 2002: Some state licensing and DUI/DWI laws have been strengthened, but no safety belt laws have been changed to primary

Vol. 36, No. 6, June 30, 2001: Sobriety checkpoints aren't frequent except in a few states • Awareness of zero tolerance laws is limited among young drivers • Improving detection of impaired drivers is first step to reducing DWI • 0.08 percent blood-alcohol limit for impaired driving reduces crash deaths, federal review concludes

Vol. 35, No. 8, September 30, 2000: Mexican Americans are subjects of new survey on drinking and driving

Vol. 35, No. 3, March 11, 2000: Drivers in four countries perceive differences in DWI law enforcement • Provisions of zero tolerance laws vary among US states, and differences affect how the laws are enforced

Vol. 35, No. 1, January 15, 2000: Ignition interlocks are effective as long as they're required

Vol. 34, No. 6, June 19, 1999: Sobriety checkpoints in Tennessee reduce fatal crashes involving drivers with high BACs

Vol. 32, No. 8, October 11, 1997: Benzodiazepines may increase crash risk among elderly drivers

Vol. 32, No. 5, May 10, 1997: Ignition interlocks deter repeat alcohol driving law violators

Vol. 32, No. 3, March 22, 1997: Alcohol-impaired driving still a problem in United States • Administrative license suspension doesn't affect employment

Testimony

Statement before the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee, Alcohol ignition interlocks, Michele Fields, June 21, 2012

Statement before the Maryland House Judiciary Committee, Alcohol ignition interlocks, Michele Fields, March 9, 2011

Statement before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, Alcohol ignition interlocks, Michele Fields, March 8, 2011

Statement before the Maryland House Judiciary Committee, Alcohol ignition interlocks, Michael Fagin, March 3, 2010

Statement before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, Alcohol ignition interlocks, Michael Fagin, February 25, 2010