Drunk driving deaths decline overall; alcohol-related motorcycle deaths increase

Sep 14, 2008

Alcohol-related driving fatalities declined overall in 2007, but alcohol-related motorcycle fatalities increased, according to newly released data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The data (.pdf file), released Aug. 28, shows that, in 2007, an estimated 12,998 people were killed in crashes in which the driver had a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 or higher – a 3.7 percent decline from 2006. However, the number of alcohol-impaired motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes increased in 25 states.

Additional findings show:

• The alcohol-impaired driving fatality rate, per 100 million vehicle miles of travel, decreased to 0.43 – the lowest on record.
• 32 states had decreases in the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2007 compared with 2006.