KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The number of “legally intoxicated drivers” continues to decline, according to new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The number of weekend nighttime drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher – a level higher than the legal limit in all 50 states and the District of Columbia – stands at 2.2 percent, according to the new roadside survey, which was conducted in 2007. That’s down from 7.5 percent in 1973.
“I’m pleased to see that our battle against drunk driving is succeeding,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release. “However, alcohol still kills 13,000 people a year on our roads and we must continue to be vigilant in our efforts to prevent drunk driving.”
In addition, the survey revealed that 16.3 percent of nighttime weekend drivers tested positive for drugs. The most common drugs used are: marijuana (8.6 percent); cocaine (3.9 percent); and over-the-counter and prescription drugs (3.9 percent).
“This troubling data shows us, for the first time, the scope of drugged driving in America, and reinforces the need to reduce drug abuse,” Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in a news release. “Drugged driving, like drunk driving, is a matter of public safety and health. It puts us all at risk and must be prevented.”
According to the survey data, motorcycle riders are more likely to be drunk than the drivers of passenger vehicles (5.6 percent vs. with 2.3 percent), while pickup truck drivers followed motorcycle riders (3.3 percent).
Data also showed that drunken drivers are more likely during late night hours – from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. – than at other times during the day or early evening.
