The Facts About 

Impaired Driving 

In 2009, 10,839 people were killed in crashes 

involving alcohol-impaired drivers in the United 

States.1

In 2009, the holidays on which alcohol-related 

crashes represented the highest percentage of 

total fatalities were Memorial Day (42 percent), 

New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July (40 

percent each), and Labor Day (38 percent).2 

About 3 in every 10 Americans will be 

involved in an alcohol-related crash at 

some time in their lives.3

In 2009, an average of 1 alcohol-related fatality 

occurred every 48 minutes in the United States.4

In 2009, 14 percent of child traffic fatalities— 

181 deaths—were caused by alcohol-impaired 

drivers.5

In 2009, 32 percent of traffic fatalities involved 

drivers with a BAC of 0.08 g/dl or higher. An 

additional 6 percent involved drivers with a 

BAC of between .01 and .07 g/dl.6

Resources for Information 

and Assistance

Mothers Against Drunk Driving 

1−800−GET−MADD or 1−800−438−6233 

www.madd.org 

National Center for Victims of Crime 

202–467–8700 

www.ncvc.org

National Organization for Victim Assistance 

1–800–TRY–NOVA or 1–800–879–6682 

www.trynova.org

Students Against Destructive Decisions 

1–877–SADD–INC (723–3462) 

www.sadd.org 

This product was developed by the National Center for Victims of Crime under 

an agreement with ICF International in support of the Office for Victims 

of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center under contract number 

GS–23F–8182H/OJP–2006F_124. The opinions, findings, and conclusions 

or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do 

not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department 

of Justice.

Endnotes

1

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2010, 2009 

Traffic Safety Facts, Washington, DC.

2

U.S. Department of Transportation, 2011, Fatality Analysis 

Reporting System/General Estimate System (FARS/GES) 

2009 Data Summary, Washington, DC.

3

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, March 2001, 

The Traffic Stop and You: Improving Communications Between 

Citizens and Law Enforcement, Washington, DC. 

4

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2010, 

2009 Traffic Safety Facts, Washington, DC.

5

Ibid.

6

U.S. Department of Transportation, 2011, FARS/GES 2009 

Data Summary, Washington, DC.

OVC

HELP sERIEs

for Crime Victims

Impaired Driving
What Is Impaired Driving?

Alcohol and other drugs, when used in excess or 

incorrectly, impair driving by altering the brain’s 

ability to function. Vision and depth perception 

become distorted, coordination is slowed, and 

judgment is negatively affected. A driver commits 

the crime of impaired driving whenever his or her 

ability to safely operate a vehicle is impaired by the 

effects of illegal drugs, prescription medications, or 

over-the-counter medications, or by having a blood 

alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 g/dl (grams 

per deciliter) or higher. 

Victims of impaired driving crashes are not hurt 

accidentally. They are victims of a crime that is the 

result of two choices made by a driver: (1) to use 

alcohol or other drugs incorrectly or in excess, and 

(2) to operate a vehicle (a car, motorcycle, boat, jet 

ski, etc.) while under the influence of these substances. These choices are as dangerous to the public as 

using a deadly weapon and can be just as lethal. 

Impaired driving is a senseless crime because it 

can be prevented. Thanks to the work of Mothers 

Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Students Against 

Destructive Decisions (SADD), and other grassroots 

victim advocacy groups, public awareness of intoxicated or impaired driving as a preventable crime 

has grown. Groups like MADD were formed to support victims of drunk driving, reduce the number of 

deaths and injuries resulting from impaired driving 

crashes, and advocate for tougher legislation.

If You Are the Survivor of an 

Impaired Driving Crime

If you or a loved one is a victim of an impaired 

driving crime, you may be affected emotionally and 

physically. For injured victims and family members 

of those killed or injured, often the most difficult 

step is to begin processing what has happened. If 

a loved one has been killed, this sudden, traumatic 

death probably feels unlike any other loss you have 

ever experienced. Coming to terms with such profound grief will take time. 

The injustice of the death and involvement with the 

criminal justice system as a result of the crime may 

complicate your grief. If the case is treated as an accident by the offender, rather than a crime resulting 

from the offender’s choice to drive while impaired, 

you may feel even more angry and frustrated. 

Everyone has a different way of processing grief 

and loss, and everyone does so in their own 

timeframe. You may experience extreme swings in 

emotion. You may feel guilty for not being able to 

protect your loved one even though the crime and its 

consequences were beyond your control. You may 

feel depressed or hopeless. The emotions you experience may seem to use up all of your energy.

This emotional suffering may also affect your physical routines. Your eating habits may change. You 

may have difficulty sleeping or be unable to sleep 

at all. You may have nightmares about the crash or 

have difficulty riding in or driving an automobile. 

You may lose interest in activities you once enjoyed. 

You may have lingering physical injuries, which can 

serve as painful physical reminders of your emotional pain.

Victims of impaired driving crashes cope with the 

profound loss and changes in their lives differently. 

But no matter how they grieve, most victims of 

impaired driving crashes are, after a time, able to 

face life with new understanding and meaning. 

Where Can You Get Help?

Advocates can provide you with information and a 

full range of victim support services. Victim assistance programs and trained professionals can help 

you learn about crime victims’ rights in your state. 

You may want to call your local or state MADD 

chapter to seek counselors who understand the 

grief that follows this kind of loss and trauma. Such 

organizations may also provide support through 

court accompaniment and advocacy services. 

When a loved one has been injured or killed, the 

financial impact can compound your sense of loss. 

The costs of medical care, phone bills, counseling, 

lost wages, and funerals can be overwhelming. All 

states have crime victim compensation programs 

that reimburse victims’ families for certain out-ofpocket expenses, including funeral, counseling, 

and medical expenses, and lost wages. Many 

states provide emergency funds that are available 

within weeks of the crash. To be eligible for compensation, the crime must be reported to the police, 

and the victim and victim’s family must cooperate 

with the criminal justice system. 

Victim assistance programs in your community can 

provide you with compensation applications and 

additional information.