Drunk Driving Accidents Up

Increase in Drunk Driving Crashes

A 2005 study compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found drunk driving to be on the rise, and the steady decline that started in the early '90s had come to an end.

The rate of drunk driving accidents in the United States rose 37% between 1997 and 1999, and continued to rise sharply in subsequent years. According to the report, which was published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, by the year 2002 the number had reached a heavy total of 159 alcohol-related accidents.

Before this the numbers were more hopeful. Between 1993 and 1997 the amount of alcohol-related accidents dropped more than 1%, from 123 million to 116 million.

With the rise in alcohol-related accidents comes a higher number of drunk-driving fatalities. From 1999 to 2003, the number of deaths due to drunk driving crashes rose approximately 2.5% to 17,013. Auto accidents are the leading cause of death in Americans under the age of 34, according to CDC findings. A shocking 30% of Americans will experience an alcohol-related accident in their life at some point. The economic burden of these accidents totals more than $50 billion each year.

Many of the accident counts come from telephone surveys that collected information on the drinking habits of more than 100,000 Americans. Callers questioned interviewees about how often they drink, and how often they drive when intoxicated.

The rise in deaths may be correlated with a rise in binge drinking, defined as drinking at least five drinks at a time. People who binge drink were found to be 13 times more likely to drink while intoxicated.

Dr. Robert H. Brewer, alcohol team leader at the CDC, suggested programs that can be implemented at the local and state levels that could aid in reversing this trend. Stricter enforcement of the drinking age law, cutting down the number of liquor licenses, and increasing taxes on alcohol could turn the tide on drinking overall.

April 21, 2005