Complex sentence: There were 16,572 alcohol-related fatalities recorded in 1999, compared with 12,744 in 2009; a decrease of 23% since the restrictive drunk driving laws were implemented.
Split into simpler sentences: There were 16,572 alcohol-related fatalities recorded in 1999, compared with 12,744 in 2009. This is a decrease of 23% since the drunk driving restriction laws were implemented.