Alcohol Impaired Driving – Know the Facts

^{An average of 1 alcohol-impaired driving fatality occurred every 52 minutes in 2019 (}¹⁾.

Texas continues to lead the nation in alcohol impaired driving fatalities (1).
In 2019, 27% drivers with BAC levels of .08% or higher were between 21 and 24 years of age, the second largest percent of any age group (1).
The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2019 was 3.3 times times higher at night than during the day (31% versus 9%), this has remained constant over the past 10 years (1).
In 2019, 14 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-impaired, compared to 26 percent on weekends (1).

In the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 34.3% of young adults ages 18-22 or more than a third of young adults were current binge alcohol users (2).
In addition, about 8.2% of college enrolled students in 2019 were also heavy alcohol users (2).

In 2019, 12.6% of full-time college students reported a substance abuse disorder in the past year compared to 13.4% of non college aged youth (3).
Alcohol use in college students is higher than their non-college peers. 53% of college students reported alcohol use in the past month compared to 44% of their non-college peers (3).

Driving after even one drink is just not worth it. Ride with a sober friend, ask someone else to drive or call a parent or older sibling. Be sure to always keep a DUDE around: DESIGNATED UNIMPAIRED DRIVER EXTRAORDINAIRE.
A good rule of thumb to know if someone has had to much is to count their drinks NOT their physical cues of intoxication. Research has shown that most people don’t exhibit signs of intoxication until over .15 (4).
Food, coffee or exercise will not reduce the amount of alcohol in your system. Only time decreases the effects of alcohol.
Don’t believe you can “fool” a police officer. They are trained to look for tale-tell signs of a driver who is under the influence.
If a friend has been drinking and is about to drive, speak up. Offer to drive, take the keys or call a parent. An angry friend is better than a dead friend.
Never get in the car with a driver who has been drinking. Everyone reacts to alcohol differently. If you know a friend has been drinking, assume they are unable to drive.

Violators of underage drinking laws often face a trip to jail, the loss of their driver’s license, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses including attorney fees, court costs, and other fines.
The Texas Department of Transportation conducted a study which found that a first time offender could expect to pay between $5,000 and $24,000 for DWI arrest and conviction.
College students surveyed also reported experiencing the following when drinking alcohol (5):
- Did something they later regretted (17%)
- Forgot where they were or what they did (11%)

Sources:

NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, Alcohol-Impaired Driving, 2019 [Cited 2021 July]. Available at URL: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813120
Schulenberg, J. E., Patrick, M. E., Johnston, L. D.,O’Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Miech, R. A. (2021). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975–2020: Volume II, College students and adults ages 19–60. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan. Available at http://monitoringthefuture.org/pubs.html#monographs
SAMHSA, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2018 and 2019. Available at: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt29394/NSDUHDetailedTabs2019/NSDUHDetTabsSect6pe2019.htm#tab6-21b
Brick J. and Erickson, C. K. (2009). Intoxication is not always visible: An unrecognized prevention challenge.
American College Health Association, Fall 2020. National College Health Assessment, Undergraduate Student Reference Group. Available at: https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-III_Fall_2020_Undergraduate_Reference_Group_Executive_Summary_updated.pdf

Updated August 2021