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National Report Estimates One Quarter of Motorists Driving Under the Influence

Government group finds upper Midwest worst for percentage of drunk driving.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in Washington, D.C. released a new nationwide report that estimates the number of drivers considered driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated. The percentages of all motorists driving drunk ranged from a low of 9.5% in Utah to a high of 26.4% in Wisconsin. Several other states in the upper Midwest ranked high on the list, including North Dakota at 24.9 percent and Minnesota at 23.5 percent.

On average 15.1 percent of U.S. drivers 18 or older drove while legally intoxicated at least once in the past year. The 2008 data release is the first time a projection of drunk driving in the nation has been compiled.

The report was based on state level information on DUI and DWI incidents and pervasiveness, as well as data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. The combined number of drivers surveyed over a three year period totaled 127,283.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there were about 16,700 traffic related deaths in 2004 involving a driver under the influence of alcohol.

The SAMHSA report also revealed that about 5% of adult drivers drove under the influence of illicit drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin and prescription drugs used nonmedically.

SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline hopes the report highlights the scope and nature of national issue of driving under the influence, and helps direct resources and prevention efforts. The full report is available at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/stateDUI/stateDUI.cfm.

State Estimates of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the Past Year among Current Drivers Aged 18 or Older: Average of 2004-2006

State Estimates of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the Past Year among Current Drivers Aged 18 or Older: Average of 2004-2006
Driving Under Influence of Alcohol			Driving Under Influence of Illicit Drugs
State	Percent	SE (%)*	State	Percent	SE (%)*
Wisconsin	26.4	1.52	District of Columbia	7.0	0.88
North Dakota	24.9	1.35	Rhode Island	6.8	0.79
Minnesota	23.5	1.35	Massachusetts	6.4	0.70
Nebraska	22.9	1.29	Montana	6.3	0.61
South Dakota	21.6	1.25	Wyoming	6.2	0.67
Kansas	21.1	1.45	Alaska	5.9	0.62
Massachusetts	20.5	1.27	Colorado	5.8	0.78
Rhode Island	20.4	1.44	Minnesota	5.7	0.74
Montana	20.3	1.32	Michigan	5.7	0.33
District of Columbia	19.1	1.14	Vermont	5.6	0.63
Michigan	18.4	0.63	Nevada	5.6	0.71
Wyoming	18.3	1.26	Tennessee	5.6	0.63
Missouri	18.0	1.03	New Mexico	5.5	0.75
Iowa	17.6	1.23	Hawaii	5.5	0.80
Hawaii	17.4	1.30	New Hampshire	5.4	0.61
Connecticut	17.2	1.44	Arkansas	5.4	0.61
Colorado	17.0	1.26	California	5.3	0.33
New Hampshire	16.7	1.14	Wisconsin	5.3	0.60
Illinois	16.5	0.59	Connecticut	5.2	0.67
Vermont	16.4	1.20	Missouri	5.1	0.64
Louisiana	16.0	0.96	Maine	5.0	0.67
Nevada	15.9	1.33	Washington	5.0	0.58
Oregon	15.9	1.07	Delaware	4.8	0.60
Texas	15.7	0.63	Ohio	4.8	0.28
Ohio	15.7	0.61	Pennsylvania	4.7	0.33
Indiana	15.2	1.33	Virginia	4.7	0.66
Arizona	14.9	1.15	Utah	4.7	0.54
Pennsylvania	14.8	0.54	Florida	4.7	0.30
South Carolina	14.7	1.17	Oklahoma	4.7	0.63
Maryland	14.7	1.10	Louisiana	4.7	0.53
Washington	13.8	1.26	Kansas	4.6	0.54
California	13.8	0.59	Indiana	4.5	0.52
Delaware	13.7	0.99	Georgia	4.5	0.66
Oklahoma	13.7	1.15	South Carolina	4.5	0.54
Alaska	13.7	1.13	Mississippi	4.4	0.59
Idaho	13.6	0.99	North Carolina	4.4	0.54
Virginia	13.6	1.15	Oregon	4.3	0.55
New Mexico	13.5	1.13	Illinois	4.3	0.26
Georgia	13.5	1.32	West Virginia	4.2	0.57
Florida	13.5	0.58	New York	4.1	0.29
New York	13.0	0.60	Idaho	4.1	0.57
Maine	12.4	0.98	Texas	4.1	0.25
Tennessee	12.4	1.12	Nebraska	3.9	0.48
Mississippi	11.9	1.05	Iowa	3.9	0.48
Alabama	11.4	0.97	Maryland	3.7	0.49
New Jersey	11.3	1.12	Arizona	3.7	0.49
Arkansas	10.8	0.92	Kentucky	3.6	0.51
Kentucky	10.4	1.07	North Dakota	3.5	0.40
North Carolina	10.4	1.04	South Dakota	3.5	0.39
West Virginia	10.1	0.96	Alabama	3.4	0.43
Utah	9.5	1.00	New Jersey	3.2	0.54

* The standard error (SE) is a measure of these sampling variability of an estimate, where smaller values represent greater precision and larger values represent less precision.

SOURCE: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2004-2006

SAMHSA is a public health agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency is responsible for improving the accountability, capacity and effectiveness of the nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health services delivery system.

Posted Thursday, April 24, 2008
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