Impaired Driving

IMPAIRED DRIVING IN NEW YORK
Incidence of Impaired Driving

For one of every 110 miles driven in New York in 2000, a person with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) >.10 sat behind the wheel. Police in New York reported 10,182 crashes involving a driver or pedestrian with a BAC of .01 or more. Formulas developed by NHTSA were used to estimate the number of alcohol-related crashes where alcohol involvement was not reported by the police. An estimated total of 66,290 crashes in New York involved alcohol which killed 419 and injured an estimated 23,100 people.

Impaired Driving by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

In 2000, New York drivers with:

· BACs of .10 and above were involved in an estimated 63,100 crashes that killed 293 and injured 20,200

· BACs between .08-.09 were involved in an estimated 1,090 crashes that killed 37 and injured 900

· Positive BACs below .08 were involved in an estimated 2,100 crashes that killed 89 and injured 2,000

Costs

Alcohol is a factor in 11% of New York’s crash costs. Alcohol-related crashes in New York cost the public an estimated $5.1 billion in 2000, including $2.2 billion in monetary costs and almost $2.9 billion in quality of life losses. (For definitions of the cost categories, see the definitions fact sheet.) Alcohol-related crashes are deadlier and more serious than other crashes. People other than the drinking driver paid $3.1 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill.

Costs per Alcohol-Related Injury

The average alcohol-related fatality in New York costs $5.5 million:

· $1.5 million in monetary costs

· $4.0 million in quality of life losses

The estimated cost per injured survivor of an alcohol-related crash averaged $156,000:

· $70,000 in monetary costs

· $86,000 in quality of life losses

Costs per Mile Driven

Crash costs in New York averaged:

· $7.90 per mile driven at BACs of .10 and above

· $3.40 per mile driven at BACs between .08-.09

· $0.20 per mile driven at BACs of .00

Costs per Drink

The societal costs of alcohol-related crashes in New York averaged $0.70 per drink consumed. People other than the drinking driver paid $0.40 per drink.

Impact on Auto Insurance Rates

Alcohol-related crashes accounted for an estimated 21% of New York’s auto insurance payments. Reducing alcohol-related crashes by 10% would save $90 million in claims payments and loss adjustment expenses.

< Back