U.S. Department of Transportation printed on recycled paper

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Technology Transfer Series

Number 135 September 1996

THE PUBLIC’S ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS

TOWARD DRINKING AND DRIVING

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 1991, 1993, AND 1995 NATIONAL SURVEYS

Every other year, the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) conducts a national survey

to assess how America’s attitudes about drinking and

driving are changing. NHTSA conducts the survey to

measure the scope of the drinking and driving

problem and to guide program activities to reduce the

severity of the problem. 

Topic areas in the 1991, 1993, and 1995 surveys

included the frequency of drinking and driving, riding

with impaired drivers, actions drivers take to avoid

drinking and driving, and their views toward

enforcement. New to the 1995 survey were

knowledge items about actual BAC limits, the amount

of alcohol required to reach the BAC limit, and crash

and injury experiences.

Crash and Injury Experience

Three percent had been involved as a passenger in a

crash in the past year, but over a third (36 percent)

said the crash resulted in an injury to at least one

person. About 6 percent of crash involved drivers had

consumed alcohol before the crash. Male drivers were

about 10 times more likely than females to have

consumed alcohol before the crash.

Key Measures of Drinking Driving Risk Decline

Since 1991, the proportion of the driving age public

who said that they drove after drinking declined from

28 percent in 1991 to 24 percent in 1995. Those who

said they had ridden with an impaired driver also

declined from 15 to 11 percent in this same time

frame. This is good news. The graphs to the right

show how these two high risk driving behaviors are

changing. 

In the past 12 months, have you ever driven 

a motor vehicle within two hours 

after drinking alcoholic beverages?

In the past 12 months, did you ever ride in a 

motor vehicle with a driver you thought might 

have consumed too much alcohol to drive safely?

Most Think a Designated Driver 

Should Not Drink at All

About two thirds of the driving public say that the

maximum number of drinks that a designated driver

should have is zero. However, 30 percent said that
one or more drinks would be acceptable for the

designated driver.

# HOW MANY DRINKS SHOULD A

DESIGNATED DRIVER HAVE?

What is the maximum number of drinks a person 

should have if he or she is the designated driver?

# HOW OFTEN SHOULD SOBRIETY

CHECKPOINTS BE USED?

Do you think sobriety checkpoints 

should be used more frequently, about the same 

as they are now, or less frequently?

Strong Support for More Sobriety Checkpoints

Sobriety checkpoints have been used as a means to

deter impaired driving and to apprehend drivers who

are impaired by alcohol. In the past year, about one

third of the participants have seen a checkpoint in

operation. Over two-thirds favor the use of more

sobriety checkpoints.

Most Support Stiffer Penalties

Most (86 percent) still think it is very important to do

something to reduce drinking and driving and almost

half (46 percent) think penalties should be much

more severe.

While progress in reducing the severity of the

drinking and driving problem continues, the survey

results show that it clearly remains a serious public

safety concern. NHTSA will continue to track

drinking and driving attitudes and behaviors in the

next 1997 biennial survey.

For a copy of the National Survey of Drinking and

Driving Attitudes and Behavior, 1995, prepared by

Schulman, Ronca, and Bucuvalas, Inc., write to the

Office of Program Development and Evaluation,

NHTSA, NTS-30, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, DC 20590, or send a fax to (202) 366-

7096. Paul Tremont, Ph.D. was the contract manager

for this project. The data sets for the 1991, 1993, and

1995 surveys are available from the National

Technical Information Service.

U.S. Department 

of Transportation

National Highway 

Traffic Safety 

Administration

400 Seventh Street, S.W. NTS-33

Washington, DC 20590

TRAFFIC TECH is a publication to disseminate 

information about traffic safety programs, 

including evaluations, innovative programs, 

and new publications. Feel free to copy it as you wish. 

If you would like to receive a copy contact:

Linda Cosgrove, Ph.D., Editor, Evaluation Staff

Traffic Safety Programs

(202) 366-2759, fax (202) 366-7096

E-MAIL: lcosgrove@nhtsa.dot.gov