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Auto-Related Accidents  »   Drunk Driving Accidents 

Lawyers Who Represent the Victims of Drunk Drivers

Our lawyers know the emotional and physical damage caused by people who drink and drive. If you're hurt in a drunken driving accident, you want a lawyer who understands your needs. When you hire us, we put our experience to work, fighting for your rights to fair compensation. Contact us today for a free legal evaluation.

Drunk Driving Statistics for the United States

  • Alcohol-related car crashes kill someone every 30 minutes and injure someone every two minutes.
  • In the United States, drunk driving is the leading criminal cause of death.
  • More than 17,000 people are the victims of drunk driving accidents every year.
  • Approximately 40% of all motor-vehicle fatalities are alcohol-related.
  • Frequent drunk drivers are responsible for almost 60% of alcohol-related fatalities.
  • In 2007, drivers between the ages of 16-20 were involved in 1,719 drunk driving accidents.

National Drunk Driving Car Crash Statistics (2007)

The following stats represent total state-by-state auto accident fatalities in 2007 and the percentage of deaths in car crashes that involved a driver who had .08% blood-alcohol content or higher.

State Deaths Pct. State Deaths Pct. State Deaths Pct.
Alabama 1,110 35% Kentucky 864 24.3% North Dakota 111 47.7%
Alaska 84 35.7% Louisiana 985 37.4% Ohio 1,257 31%
Arizona 1,066 31.5% Maine 183 36% Oklahoma 754 29%
Arkansas 650 28% Maryland 614 29% Oregon 455 33%
California 3,974 29% Massachusetts 417 35% Pennsylvania 1,491 33.5%
Colorado 554 30.7% Michigan 1,088 28% Rhode Island 69 36%
Connecticut 277 36.5% Minnesota 504 31.3% South Carolina 1,066 43.4%
Delaware 117 42.7% Mississippi 884 34.2% South Dakota 146 30.8%
D.C. 44 34% Missouri 992 34% Tennessee 1,210 32.2%
Florida 3,214 27.7% Montana 277 38.3% Texas 3,363 38.4%
Georgia 1,641 27% Nebraska 256 30% Utah 299 17%
Hawaii 138 32.6% Nevada 373 31.6% Vermont 66 33.3%
Idaho 252 27.8% New Hampshire 129 26.4% Virginia 1,027 32.3%
Illinois 1,249 34.7% New Jersey 724 27.5% Washington 568 34.3%
Indiana 898 25.6% New Mexico 413 32.2% West Virginia 431 33%
Iowa 445 23.8% New York 1,333 28.8% Wisconsin 756 41.4%
Kansas 416 27.4% North Carolina 1,675 29% Wyoming 150 32.7%

  • In 2007, approximately 12,998 people were killed in alcohol-related driving accidents – a 3.7% decline from 2006.
  • Thirty-two states had decreases in drunk driving fatalities compared to 2006, and 18 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had increases.
  • California has the largest decrease in fatalities among the states – there were 117 fewer drunk driving deaths in 2007 than there were in 2006.
  • North Carolina had the largest increase in drunk driving deaths – 66 more in 2007 than in 2006. South Carolina was second with a 44-fatalitiy increase.
  • Alcohol-related driving fatalities accounted for 31.7% of total traffic deaths.
  • The age groups that accounted for the largest percent of alcohol-related traffic deaths were ages 25-34 and 45-64. Each made up 23% of the deaths in 2007.
  • Underage drinkers accounted for 14% of drunk driving deaths.
  • In 2007, about 67% of alcohol-related driving fatalities were drivers with BACs of .08 or more. Approximately 17% were passengers riding with the drunk drivers.
  • The age group with the highest percentage of drunk drivers involved in fatal car crashes was 25-34. This age group accounted for 26% of the fatal accidents.
  • 83% of the drivers involved in fatal crashes who had BACs of .08 or higher were male.
  • In 2007, 57% of the fatal alcohol-related car crashes occurred on the weekends.
  • The times of day with the highest number of drunk driving fatalities were midnight to 3 a.m. (28%), 9 p.m. to midnight (21%), and then 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (16%).
  • 68% of the drunk driving fatalities in 2007 involved single-vehicle crashes; 32% involved multi-vehicle crashes.

Pennsylvania Alcohol-Related Car Accident Statistics (2007)

  • There were 535 alcohol-related deaths in 2007.
  • 91% of those killed in alcohol-related crashes were in the same vehicle as the drunk driver. 72% of those killed were the drunk driver themselves.
  • 77% of drunk drivers involved in crashes were male.
  • On an average day in 2007, there were 35 alcohol-related crashes with 1.5 fatalities and 27 injured people.
  • The majority of drunk driving crashes occur at night- 75%
  • Alcohol-related crash fatalities were highest between the hours of midnight and 4 am.
  • Alcohol-related crash fatalities were highest on Saturday.
  • 49% of car accident deaths that occured during the holiday weekends were related to alcohol use.

National Drunk Driving Car Crash Statistics (2006)

The following stats represent total state-by-state auto accident fatalities in 2006 and the percentage of deaths in car crashes that involved a driver who had .08% blood-alcohol content or higher.

State Deaths Pct. State Deaths Pct. State Deaths Pct.
Alabama 1,206 32% Kentucky 913 24% North Dakota 111 37%
Alaska 73 27% Louisiana 982 37% Ohio 1,235 31%
Arizona 1,280 32% Maine 188 27% Oklahoma 765 26%
Arkansas 665 30% Maryland 651 30% Oregon 477 31%
California 4,229 30% Massachusetts 422 32% Pennsylvania 1,517 32%
Colorado 533 33% Michigan 1,081 31% Rhode Island 81 36%
Connecticut 301 36% Minnesota 493 31% South Carolina 1,037 40%
Delaware 148 29% Mississippi 911 35% South Dakota 191 36%
D.C. 37 32% Missouri 1,087 35% Tennessee 1,286 32%
Florida 3,363 29% Montana 255 40% Texas 3,466 39%
Georgia 1,688 27% Nebraska 266 26% Utah 284 19%
Hawaii 160 40% Nevada 432 33% Vermont 86 30%
Idaho 267 31% New Hampshire 127 37% Virginia 961 31%
Illinois 1,254 35% New Jersey 771 29% Washington 630 36%
Indiana 896 28% New Mexico 484 28% West Virginia 408 32%
Iowa 439 28% New York 1,454 27% Wisconsin 722 42%
Kansas 466 29% North Carolina 1,558 27% Wyoming 195 35%

Pennsylvania Drunk Driving Car Accident Statistics (2006)

  • In 2006, there were 13,616 alcohol-related crashes.
  • There were 545 alcohol-related deaths in 2006.
  • 24% of the driver deaths in the 16-20 age group were drinking drivers.
  • 49% of the driver deaths in the 21-25 age group were drinking drivers.
  • Alcohol-related deaths were 36% of the total traffic deaths.
  • 78% of the drinking drivers involved in accidents were male.
  • 79% of the alcohol-related crashes happened during hours of darkness, usually on weekends.
  • On an average day, 37 alcohol-related crashes occurred.
  • On an average day, 29 people were injured in alcohol-related crashes.
  • On an average day, 1.5 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes.
  • 15% of all holiday crashes involved alcohol use.

National Alcohol-Related Car Accident Statistics (2005)

  • In 2005, 16,885 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents, representing 39% of all traffic-related deaths.
  • Of the 16,885 people who died in alcohol-related crashes in 2005, 14,539 or 86% were killed in crashes where at least one driver or nonoccupant had a BAC of .08 or higher.
  • An estimated 254,000 people were injured in crashes where police reported alcohol was present.
  • Alcohol was present in 24% of drivers involved in fatal crashes.
  • Over half of the 414 child passengers ages 14 and younger that died in an alcohol-related crash were riding with a drunk driver.
  • Of the 1,946 traffic fatalities among children ages 0 to 14 years old, 21% involved alcohol.
  • 48 children ages 14 and under were killed as pedestrians or pedacyclists by an impaired driver.
  • Male drivers are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be involved in a fatal car crash with a BAC of .08 or higher.
  • In 2005, 16% of drivers aged 16 to 20 who were killed in an accident had been drinking alcohol.
  • The highest percentage of drivers in fatal crashes who had BAC levels of .08 or higher was for drivers ages 21 to 24 followed by the 25 to 34 age group.
  • Alcohol involvement in fatal crashes was 3 times higher at night as during the day. For all crashes, the alcohol involvement rate is 5 times higher at night.

Pennsylvania Drunk Driving Crash Statistics (2005)

  • In 2005, there were 580 fatalities from alcohol-related crashes.
  • 89% of those killed in alcohol-related crashes were in the same vehicle as the drunk driver. 72% of those killed were the drunk drivers themselves.
  • 79% of drunk drivers involved in crashes are male.
  • On an average day in 2005, there were 36 alcohol-related crashes with 1.6 fatalities and 29 injured people.
  • The majority of drunk driving crashes occur at night - 77%.
  • Alcohol-related crash fatalities were highest between the hours of midnight and 4am.
  • Alcohol-related crash fatalities were highest on Saturday.

Sources:
"Imapired Driving." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2006.
"2006 Pennsylvania Crash Facts & Statistics." PENNDOT. 2008.
"2007 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment - Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities." August 2008. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.