Drunk Driving Accidents

In 2004, there were over 16,000 fatal automobile accidents in the United States related to alcohol use. That was the second consecutive year in the United States that a decrease in alcohol-related fatalities was reported. In 2002, a high of over 17,000 fatal auto accidents related to alcohol was recorded in the United States.

In 2004, of those individuals who had the highest blood alcohol content in a fatal car accident, over 13,000 showed the driver was the one who had been drinking the most. Even worse, of those 13,000 drivers showing a blood alcohol content above 0.01, more than 11,000 actually had a blood alcohol content above 0.08.

In terms of who actually dies in alcohol-related car accidents, over 8,000 of those killed in 2004 were actually behind the wheel. Over 1,200 people driving a motorcycle that were drinking and driving were killed in accidents. Of course, let's not forget that over 3,000 people who were riding in cars or on motorcycles with drivers who had been drinking were killed in 2004.

In terms of the states in which the alcohol-related fatalities occur, Texas and California had almost exactly the same number at over 1,600 in 2004. Of those accidents, both states had about 1,400 accidents that involved a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher. The area with the fewest alcohol-related fatalities was the District of Columbia with 18; 12 of those, however, involved a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.