The Sobering Truth About Drinking and Driving
Often, mere numbers fail to convey the true loss which is being quantified. Like the number of U.S. Soldiers and Marines who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Or like the number of our fellow citizens who are killed every year in Pennsylvania alcohol-related car accidents, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents.
The following numbers were prepared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2008, nearly 40% of all Pennsylvania fatal car accidents involved alcohol. Pennsylvania drunk driving statistics are a sobering reminder of the human tragedy created by the deadly mix of alcohol and driving.
Alcohol-related deaths in the US since 1982:
|
Total fatalities
|
Alcohol-related fatalities |
||
|
Year
|
Number
|
Number
|
Percent
|
|
1982
|
43,945
|
26,173
|
60
|
|
1983
|
42,589
|
24,635
|
58
|
|
1984
|
44,257
|
24,762
|
56
|
|
1985
|
43,825
|
23,167
|
53
|
|
1986
|
46,087
|
25,017
|
54
|
|
1987
|
46,390
|
24,094
|
52
|
|
1988
|
47,087
|
23,833
|
51
|
|
1989
|
45,582
|
22,424
|
49
|
|
1990
|
44,599
|
22,587
|
51
|
|
1991
|
41,508
|
20,159
|
49
|
|
1992
|
39,250
|
18,290
|
47
|
|
1993
|
40,150
|
17,908
|
45
|
|
1994
|
40,716
|
17,308
|
43
|
|
1995
|
41,817
|
17,732
|
42
|
|
1996
|
42,065
|
17,749
|
42
|
|
1997
|
42,013
|
16,711
|
40
|
|
1998
|
41,501
|
16,673
|
40
|
|
1999
|
41,717
|
16,572
|
40
|
|
2000
|
41,945
|
17,380
|
41
|
|
2001
|
42,196
|
17,400
|
41
|
|
2002
|
43,005
|
17,524
|
41
|
|
2003
|
42,643
|
17,013
|
40
|
|
2004
|
42,518
|
16,919
|
39
|
|
2005
|
43,443
|
16,885
|
39
|
|
2006
|
42,532
|
15,829
|
37
|
|
2007
|
41,059
|
15,387
|
37
|
|
2008
|
37,261
|
13,846
|
37
|
Drinking and driving fatalities by state in 2008 (ranked by highest number of
alcohol-related* deaths):
|
State
|
Total Fatalities
|
Alcohol-Related Fatalities
|
|
|
Number
|
Percent
|
||
| Texas | 3,382 | 1,463 | 43 |
| California | 3,434 | 1,198 | 35 |
| Florida | 2,978 | 1,041 | 35 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,468 | 578 | 39 |
| North Carolina | 1,433 | 500 | 35 |
| Georgia | 1,493 | 489 | 33 |
| South Carolina | 920 | 463 | 50 |
| Illinois | 1,043 | 434 | 42 |
| Ohio | 1,190 | 415 | 35 |
| New York | 1,231 | 409 | 33 |
| Louisiana | 912 | 404 | 44 |
| Tennessee | 1,035 | 386 | 37 |
| Alabama | 966 | 367 | 38 |
| Virginia | 824 | 365 | 44 |
| Missouri | 960 | 364 | 38 |
| Michigan | 980 | 331 | 34 |
| Arizona | 937 | 329 | 35 |
| Mississippi | 783 | 297 | 38 |
| Oklahoma | 749 | 274 | 37 |
| Indiana | 814 | 250 | 31 |
| Wisconsin | 605 | 250 | 41 |
| Kentucky | 826 | 226 | 27 |
| Washington | 521 | 225 | 43 |
| Arkansas | 600 | 205 | 34 |
| Colorado | 548 | 202 | 37 |
| New Jersey | 590 | 197 | 33 |
| Maryland | 591 | 186 | 31 |
| Minnesota | 456 | 161 | 35 |
| Oregon | 416 | 159 | 38 |
| Kansas | 385 | 157 | 41 |
| Massachusetts | 363 | 151 | 42 |
| West Virginia | 380 | 142 | 37 |
| Nevada | 324 | 121 | 37 |
| New Mexico | 366 | 118 | 32 |
| Iowa | 412 | 113 | 27 |
| Connecticut | 264 | 104 | 40 |
| Montana | 229 | 103 | 45 |
| Idaho | 232 | 93 | 40 |
| Nebraska | 208 | 75 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 159 | 75 | 47 |
| Utah | 275 | 55 | 20 |
| New Hampshire | 139 | 53 | 38 |
| North Dakota | 104 | 52 | 50 |
| Hawaii | 107 | 50 | 46 |
| Delaware | 121 | 49 | 40 |
| Maine | 155 | 47 | 30 |
| South Dakota | 119 | 41 | 34 |
| Rhode Island | 65 | 29 | 45 |
| Alaska | 62 | 24 | 38 |
| Vermont | 73 | 15 | 21 |
| Dist of Columbia | 34 | 13 | 39 |
| National | 37,261 | 13,846 | 37 |
| Puerto Rico | 399 | 162 | 41 |
The table below shows
alcohol-impaired** motor vehicle fatalities in the US for 2008.
| State | Total Fatalities* | BAC=.08+ | |
| Number | Number | Percent | |
| Texas | 3,382 | 1,269 | 38 |
| California | 3,434 | 1,029 | 30 |
| Florida | 2,978 | 875 | 29 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,468 | 496 | 34 |
| North Carolina | 1,433 | 423 | 30 |
| Georgia | 1,493 | 416 | 28 |
| South Carolina | 920 | 403 | 44 |
