ALCOHOL POLICY

IMPACT IMPAIRED { DRIVING

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 

Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention 

 

 

 

 

What’s the Issue? 

each year, millions of people choose to drive while 

under the influence of alcohol, sometimes with 

devastating results. In 2009, almost 11,000 people 

were killed in crashes involving impaired drivers— 

nearly one-third of all traffic deaths.1 

alcohol-impaired driving crashes claim the lives of the 

most vulnerable: in a single year, these crashes killed 

more than 180 children younger than 14.2 half of the 

children killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes 

were riding in the car with the impaired driver.2 

these deaths are preventable. Research has 

identified proven policies that can keep alcoholimpaired drivers off the road and save thousands 

of lives each year. { crashes every day. 29 } In 2009,an average of 

29 people died in 

alcohol-impaired driving 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 {1/3 were legally impaired. 
 In 2009,nearly onethird of drivers age 21 to 34 in a fatal crash 

What Do We KnoW? 

Drivers with previous driving while impaired 

(DWI) convictions pose a substantial risk of 

offending again. Data show that legally impaired 

drivers involved in fatal crashes were eight times more 

likely to have a prior DWI conviction than drivers who 

had not been drinking.2 

Millions of adults drive while impaired, but only 

a fraction are arrested. In 2009, an estimated 

}

1.4 million arrests were made for driving under the 

influence.3 this is less than one percent of the 147 

million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired 

driving among u.s. adults each year.4 

Young drivers who drink have the greatest risk of 

dying in an alcohol-impaired crash. at all levels of 

blood alcohol concentration (BaC), young drivers 

have a greater risk of dying in a crash than older 

drivers with the same BaC.5 
10,839 

Alcohol-impaired 

driving deaths 

other driving 

deaths 

22,969 

600
 

Drivers involved in fatal crashes

0.08% BAC 

500
 

400 


300
 

200
 

100


0

.01.03.05.07.09.11.13.15.17.19.21.23.25.27.29.31.33.35.37.39.41.43

.45+ 

Distribution of BaC levels (%) 

Nearly one-third of crash deaths involve Impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes are 

an alcohol-impaired driver1 often well over the illegal threshold of 0.08% BAC2 
 

 

What Can We Do? 

While disturbing, the facts about alcohol-impaired 

driving also show the way forward. Policies must help 

keep drivers with a history of DWI from offending 

again, support high visibility enforcement of impaired 

driving laws, and better protect young drivers. 

alcohol-impaired driving is a serious, but preventable, 

problem.the following recommended policies are 

some of the proven-effective ways to prevent alcoholimpaired driving.they are key steps toward preventing 

the nearly 11,000 deaths caused by alcohol-impaired 

driving crashes every year. 

67Installation of ignition { } interlocks reduces 

re-arrest rates by a 

median of 67%. 

CDC ReCoMMenDatIons 

Ignition interlocks for all convicted DWI offenders 

Ignition interlocks, or in-car breathalyzers, are devices 

that can be installed in vehicles to prevent persons 

who have consumed alcohol from driving.they are 

typically installed after a driver has been convicted 

of DWI.6 

Research shows that ignition interlocks can reduce 

the rate of re-arrest among drivers convicted of DWI 

by a median of 67%,6 making them more effective 

than other prevention methods. Drivers with interlocks 

had fewer alcohol-impaired driving crashes than 

drivers who had their drivers’ licenses suspended 

because of a DWI conviction.6 

states that mandate ignition interlocks for everyone 

convicted of DWI can reduce alcohol-impaired driving 

crashes and save lives. 
Expanded use of sobriety checkpoints 

at sobriety checkpoints, law enforcement officers stop 

drivers to assess their level of alcohol impairment. 

Checkpoints do more than simply increase arrests; 

they deter impaired driving by increasing drivers’ 

perceived risk of arrest if they choose to get behind 

the wheel after drinking. 

Research has shown that checkpoints prevent 

impaired driving.a review of more than 20 studies 

shows that checkpoints resulted in a median 20% 

decrease in impaired driving crashes and deaths.7 

states that have sobriety checkpoints should consider 

expanding their use. states without checkpoints 

should consider trying to gain authority to conduct 

this life-saving law enforcement practice. 

Maintain and enforce minimum legal drinking age 

and zero tolerance laws 

In all 50 states, the minimum legal drinking age 

(MLDa) prohibits the sale of alcohol to people under 

age 21. Maintaining 21 as the MLDa will prevent 

impaired driving among our least experienced drivers. 

Research shows that lowering the MLDa can increase 

alcohol-impaired crashes involving young drivers by a 

median of 10%.8 

equally important are laws that crack down on 

drivers under age 21 who drive after consuming 

alcohol.all states have “zero-tolerance laws” 

that prohibit young people from driving with any 

detectable BaC. such measures lower the fatal crash 

rate between 9% and 24%.9 

states should maintain their MLDa at 21and vigorously 

enforce MLDa and zero tolerance laws. 
 

* 

California has a first offender pilot 

program in four counties 

How state ignition interlock laws 

measure up10 

as of February 2011, more than half of all 

states require some DWI offenders to install 

ignition interlocks, but only 13 states require 

interlocks for all convicted offenders, even 

on a first conviction. 

Ignition interlocks mandatory for all offenders 

Ignition interlocks mandatory for 

repeat offenders anD high BaC offenders 

Ignition interlocks mandatory for 

repeat offenders oR high BaC offenders 

no mandatory ignition interlock laws 

Policy Impact is a series of issue briefs from CDC’s Injury Center 

highlighting key public health issues and important, sciencebased policy actions that can be taken to address them. 

For more information on alcohol-Impaired Driving, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: 

www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety • cdcinfo@cdc.gov • 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4643) | TTY 1-888-232-6348 

February 2011 

For references, visit: www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/alcoholbrief