The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released findings of a CDC Vital Signs study that reveals that in 2010 approximately 112 million people drove their car whilst under the influence of alcohol; that is nearly 300,000 drink-drivers each day.

CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. declared:

“The four million adults who drink and drive each year put everyone on the road at risk. In fact, nearly 11,000 people are killed every year in crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver.”

The CDC study was based on data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey.

Findings revealed that in 2010 the vast majority of drink-drivers were men with 81%. Although only 11% of offenders were young men aged between 21 to 34 years, they nevertheless accounted for 32% of all drink-driving incidents. 85% of all drinking and driving incidents were reported by individuals who admitted to binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women during a short period of time.

Linda C. Degutis, Dr.P.H., M.S.N., director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control warned:

“Drunk driving is a public health problem with far-reaching effects. Drunk drivers, who have delayed reaction times and reflexes, put even the most responsible drivers and pedestrians in harm’s way. Public support to prevent drunk driving is strong. Thankfully, there are proven ways to protect everyone on the road.”

Some effective and established strategies for the prevention of alcohol-impaired driving include:

  • Minimum legal drinking age legislation: Under the law, the sale of alcohol is prohibited to individuals under the age of 21 years in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Maintaining 21 years as the minimum legal drinking age helps prevent inexperienced younger drivers from drinking and driving.
  • Ignition interlocks: These are devices that prevent previously convicted drink-drivers from operating their vehicles after the consumption of alcohol. While the device is on the vehicle interlocks are proven to be effective in reducing alcohol-impaired re-arrest rates by about two-thirds.
  • Sobriety checkpoints: These are checkpoints stopping drivers to assess whether individuals are driving under the influence of alcohol.
  • A larger distribution and more frequent of checkpoints could result in saving between 1,500 to 3,000 lives each year according to the Transportation Research Board.

CDC’s Injury Center is working for every day protection and safety of all individuals on the roads.

For more information about drinking and driving and overall motor vehicle safety, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety and http://www.cdc.gov/injury. In addition, a policy issue brief, Policy Impact: Alcohol-Impaired Driving, features more information on state policies to prevent alcohol-impaired driving. For a copy of this data brief, visit http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/alcoholbrief.

Vital Signs is a CDC report that appears on the first Tuesday of the month U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Written by Petra Rattue