National Driving Under the Influence Statistics

Every 33 minutes someone in this country dies in an alcohol-related crash.

In 1999, nearly 16,000 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related crashes. More than 300,000 were injured. That's one person dead every 33 minutes and one person injured every two minutes. An estimated 1.5 million people were arrested. In fact, the average American has a 30 percent chance of being killed or injured by an impaired driver during their lifetime. And while the number of alcohol-related fatalities are at an all-time low, impaired driving is still a leading cause of death for people under the age of 30.

The phrase "drunk driving," while still common in everyday language and completely understandable, is not used as a legal term since many drivers who are part of the problem do not exhibit visible outward signs of drunkenness. "Impaired driving" in general means driving while abilities are impaired by alcohol or drugs. "Driving while intoxicated" (DWI) or "Driving under the influence" (DUI) means driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

What is Impaired Driving and Who is at Risk?

All drivers risk impairment when consuming alcohol or drugs--whether legal, over-the-counter and prescription medications or illegal substances such as marijuana, cocaine or other illicit drugs. Make the right choice--don't drink and drive. Yet, we know that thousands of Americans every year continue to make the wrong choices. Drunk Drivers come in all ages, genders and backgrounds.

FACT: Impaired driving is a chronic problem that will affect one in three Americans in their lifetime. Nearly 42,000 people die in motor vehicle crashes each year, and about 16,000 of these are alcohol-related. Alcohol-related crashes account for one person killed every 33 minutes and one person injured every two minutes every day of the year.

This information is courtesy of http://www.dps.state.az.us/