The numbers on drinking
and driving

Of the 41,821 fatalities in motor-vehicle crashes in the United States in 2000, 40 percent involved the use of alcohol, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Nine percent of the fatalities involved drivers or non-occupants with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01-0.09 g/dL while 31 percent involved drivers or non-occupants with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 g/dL or greater (the legal limit for intoxication in most states in 2000).

This represents a slight but significant increase over the number of alcohol-involved traffic fatalities that occurred in 1999. According to the NHTSA, “A broad range of public health and traffic safety strategies will be needed to stem further increases and reduce the number of alcohol-related fatalities.” .
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