Alcohol-impaired crashes are those that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or above, the legal definition of impaired driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Alcohol Impaired Driving Safety Fact Sheet, 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2021—an increase of 14 percent from 2020. Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities accounted for 31 percent of all crash fatalities.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) 49 states and the District of Columbia have per se laws making it a crime to drive with a BAC at or above 0.08 (Utah the threshold is a BAC of 0.05 percent or above). The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has information on alcohol impaired driving state laws.
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Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities (1) |
| Year |
Total traffic
fatalities |
Number |
As a percent of
all crash deaths |
| 1985 |
43,825 |
18,125 |
41% |
| 1990 |
44,599 |
17,705 |
40 |
| 1995 |
41,817 |
13,478 |
32 |
| 2000 |
41,945 |
13,324 |
32 |
| 2005 |
43,510 |
13,582 |
31 |
| 2010 |
32,999 |
10,136 |
31 |
| 2011 |
32,479 |
9,865 |
30 |
| 2012 |
33,782 |
10,336 |
31 |
| 2013 |
32,894 |
10,110 |
31 |
| 2014 |
32,744 |
9,943 |
30 |
| 2015 |
35,485 |
10,320 |
30 |
| 2016 |
37,806 |
10,967 |
29 |
| 2017 |
37,473 |
10,880 |
29 |
| 2018 |
36,835 |
10,710 |
29 |
| 2019 |
36,355 |
10,196 |
28 |
| 2020 |
38,824 |
11,654 |
30 |
(1) Alcohol-impaired driving crashes are crashes that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or above, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving in most states.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
| Age |
2011 |
2022 |
Point change |
| 16 to 20 |
20% |
17% |
-3 pts. |
| 21 to 24 |
32 |
26 |
-6 |
| 25 to 34 |
30 |
26 |
-4 |
| 35 to 44 |
24 |
23 |
-1 |
| 45 to 54 |
21 |
19 |
-2 |
| 55 to 64 |
14 |
16 |
2 |
| 65 to 74 |
8 |
12 |
4 |
| Over 74 |
5 |
7 |
2 |
(1) Alcohol-impaired driving crashes are crashes that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or above, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving in most states.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Alcohol-impaired crash fatalities (1) |
| Person type |
Total killed |
Number |
Percent of
total killed |
| Vehicle occupants |
|
|
|
| Driver |
19,519 |
6,756 |
35% |
| Passenger |
5,966 |
1,866 |
31 |
| Unknown occupant |
51 |
3 |
7 |
| Total |
25,536 |
8,626 |
34% |
| Motorcyclists |
5,579 |
1,803 |
32% |
| Nonoccupants |
|
|
|
| Pedestrian |
6,516 |
1,048 |
16 |
| Pedalcyclist |
938 |
126 |
13 |
| Other/unknown |
255 |
51 |
20 |
| Total |
7,709 |
1,225 |
16% |
| Total |
38,824 |
11,654 |
30% |
(1) Alcohol-impaired driving crashes are crashes that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or greater, the legal definition of alcohol-impaired driving.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
