Tracking the alcohol involvement problem in U.S. highway crashes

Alcohol involvement in traffic crashes is estimated for 1981 and 1982 using two national accident data files. In tracking the alcohol problem, no large changes can be detected in the proportions of alcohol-related accidents from 1980 to 1982. However, at least four States show significant reductions in alcohol-related fatal accidents for 1982 compared to 1981. As expected, restraint usage is lower for alcohol-involved drivers in crashes than for sober drivers in crashes. Less than half of the police designated alcohol-involved drivers who survive crashes are charged with alcohol-related offenses. When alcohol-involved fatal accident rates per unit of travel are calculated, drivers aged 16-21 have the highest rates. For 1981, alcohol-involved accidents resulted in an estimated 28,100 fatalities, while in 1982, with an overall 10 percent decrease in fatalities, alcohol involvement resulted in 25,600 fatalities. An average of 670,000 persons were injured per year and an additional annual 1,200,000 property damage accidents occurred as a result of alcohol involvement during 1979-80-81.