U.S. drivers got behind the wheel after drinking too much about 112 million times in 2010. Whenever anyone drives drunk, they put everyone on the road in danger. Choose not to drink and drive and help others do the same.
Though episodes of drinking and driving have gone down by 30% during the past five years, it remains a serious problem. Alcohol-impaired drivers are involved in about one in every three crash deaths.
Certain groups are more likely to drink and drive than others:
- Men were responsible for four in five episodes (81%) of drinking and driving in 2010.
- Young men ages 21-34 made up only 11% of the U.S. population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32% of all instances of drinking and driving.
- 85% of drinking and driving episodes were reported by people who also reported binge drinking. Binge drinking means five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women during a short period of time.
The CDC report analyzed data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey to obtain the prevalence, episodes, and rates of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults aged ≥18 years who responded to the survey. Watch for more information in the December 2012 issue of MIRA Bottom Line magazine.
