Impaired Driving

The Magnitude of the Problem

• Nearly three out of every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related traffic crash in their lifetime.
• Each year, about 8 percent of all police-reported motor vehicle crashes are alcohol-related.
• In Illinois during 2002, 51,649 people were arrested for DUI.
• The proportion of fatal crashes that are alcohol related is approximately three times greater at night than during the day.
• Each year, about 310,000 people suffer injuries in alcohol-related traffic crashes, an average of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

• A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or greater is the level at which a driver is considered legally intoxicated in Illinois.
• A driver can also be arrested and prosecuted for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) with a BAC in excess of .05 but less than .08.
• In 2002, 45.83 percent of fatally injured drivers who were tested for a BAC level were found to have been drinking, and 39.54 percent had a BAC of .08 or greater.

Drunk Driving and Young People

• Although 16-24 year olds comprise only 15.52 percent of the licensed drivers in the state, they are involved in 38.85 percent of all fatal alcohol-related crashes.
• In 2002, nearly 32 percent of the fatally injured teenaged drivers (age 16-19) were legally intoxicated.
• 224 young adult drivers between 16 and 24 years old were killed in fatal crashes in 2002. Of these, 106 had a BAC level of .08 or greater.
• Nearly 33 percent of the fatally injured teenage drivers (age 16-19) were drinking prior to their crash.
• Of the 396 drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2002 and found to be legally intoxicated, 35.10 percent were between 16 and 24 years of age.
• Almost 37 percent of the fatally injured drivers under age 21 who were tested for BAC were drinking prior to their crash. 39.66 percent were at .08 BAC or greater.
• In Illinois, in 2002, 83 children under the age of 16 were killed in motor vehicle crashes.
• Illinois' zero tolerance law became effective January 1, 1995. Each year there are approximately 3,000 zero tolerance violations recorded.

Safety Belts and Alcohol

• Safety belts were used by approximately 12.3 percent of fatally injured intoxicated (BAC> .08) drivers as compared to 36.7 percent of sober drivers killed in crashes.
• Drivers involved in fatal crashes who have been drinking use safety belts at a substantially lower rate than sober drivers.

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