Nationwide drunk driving statistics for 2006

  • There were 13,470 fatalities in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver (blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher) -- 32 percent of total traffic fatalities for the year.
  • More than 16,000 people were killed in alcohol-related motor vehicle traffic crashes (BAC of .01 or higher).
  • There was an average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 39 minutes.
  • The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes was four times higher at night than during the day.
  • The percentage of drivers with BAC of .08 or above in fatal crashes was highest for motorcycle operators (27 percent), followed by light trucks (24 percent), and then passenger cars (23 percent).
-- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration