Table 2-26: Fatalities by Highest Driver Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in Highway Crashes
1985 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total fatalities | 43,825 | 44,599 | 41,508 | 39,250 | 40,150 | 40,716 | 41,817 | 42,065 | 42,013 | 41,501 | 41,717 | 41,945 | 42,196 | 43,005 | 42,884 | 42,836 | 43,510 | 42,708 | 41,259 | 37,423 | 33,883 | 32,999 | 32,479 | 33,782 | 32,719 | 32,675 | 35,092 |
Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes (BAC = .01+) | 21,098 | 20,607 | 18,307 | 16,401 | 16,039 | 15,626 | 15,893 | 15,866 | 14,973 | 14,899 | 14,790 | 15,746 | 15,731 | 15,793 | 15,423 | 15,311 | 15,985 | 15,970 | 15,534 | 13,826 | 12,731 | 11,906 | 11,527 | 12,118 | 11,896 | 11,731 | 12,074 |
Percent | 48.14 | 46.21 | 44.10 | 41.79 | 39.95 | 38.38 | 38.01 | 37.72 | 35.64 | 35.90 | 35.45 | 37.54 | 37.28 | 36.72 | 35.96 | 35.74 | 36.74 | 37.39 | 37.65 | 36.95 | 37.57 | 36.08 | 35.49 | 35.87 | 36.36 | 35.90 | 34.41 |
BAC = 0.00 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 22,589 | 23,823 | 23,025 | 22,726 | 23,979 | 24,948 | 25,768 | 26,052 | 26,902 | 26,477 | 26,798 | 26,082 | 26,334 | 27,080 | 27,328 | 27,413 | 27,423 | 26,633 | 25,611 | 23,499 | 21,051 | 21,005 | 20,848 | 21,563 | 20,713 | 20,856 | 22,912 |
Percent | 51.54 | 53.42 | 55.47 | 57.90 | 59.72 | 61.27 | 61.62 | 61.93 | 64.03 | 63.80 | 64.24 | 62.18 | 62.41 | 62.97 | 63.73 | 64.00 | 63.03 | 62.36 | 62.07 | 62.79 | 62.13 | 63.65 | 64.19 | 63.83 | 63.31 | 63.83 | 65.29 |
BAC = 0.01 - 0.07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 2,974 | 2,901 | 2,480 | 2,352 | 2,300 | 2,236 | 2,416 | 2,415 | 2,216 | 2,353 | 2,235 | 2,422 | 2,441 | 2,321 | 2,327 | 2,212 | 2,404 | 2,479 | 2,494 | 2,115 | 1,972 | 1,771 | 1,662 | 1,782 | 1,820 | 1,764 | U |
Percent | 6.79 | 6.50 | 5.97 | 5.99 | 5.73 | 5.49 | 5.78 | 5.74 | 5.27 | 5.67 | 5.36 | 5.77 | 5.78 | 5.40 | 5.43 | 5.16 | 5.53 | 5.80 | 6.04 | 5.65 | 5.82 | 5.37 | 5.12 | 5.27 | 5.56 | 5.40 | U |
BAC = 0.08+ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 18,125 | 17,705 | 15,827 | 14,049 | 13,739 | 13,390 | 13,478 | 13,451 | 12,757 | 12,546 | 12,555 | 13,324 | 13,290 | 13,472 | 13,096 | 13,099 | 13,582 | 13,491 | 13,041 | 11,711 | 10,759 | 10,136 | 9,865 | 10,336 | 10,076 | 9,967 | 10,265 |
Percent | 41.36 | 39.70 | 38.13 | 35.79 | 34.22 | 32.89 | 32.23 | 31.98 | 30.36 | 30.23 | 30.10 | 31.77 | 31.50 | 31.33 | 30.54 | 30.58 | 31.22 | 31.59 | 31.61 | 31.29 | 31.75 | 30.72 | 30.37 | 30.60 | 30.80 | 30.50 | 29.25 |
KEY: BAC = blood alcohol concentration; U = data are not available.
NOTES
BAC values have been assigned by U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) when alcohol test results are unknown. Alcohol-related crashes pertain to the highest BAC among the drivers involved the crashes. For some years, numbers for Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes (BAC = .01+) may not add to totals due to rounding.
In 2001, the NHTSA adopted a new method to estimate missing blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test result data. This new method, multiple imputation, is being used by NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) to improve the scope of alcohol involvement statistics by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. As a result of the methodology change, BAC 0.08 breakouts, which coincide with many state laws, can now be determined. Thus, NHTSA's general reporting categories have been modified to reflect this and are now BAC 0.00, BAC 0.01-0.07, and BAC 0.08+.
SOURCES
U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Traffic Safety Facts, Alcohol-Impaired Driving (Washington, DC: Annual Issues), table 4, available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/ as of March 2017.