Impaired Driving
Every day, 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver.1 This is one death every 50 minutes.1 The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $44 billion.2
Thankfully, there are effective measures that can help prevent injuries and deaths from alcohol-impaired driving.
Driving while impaired by any substance can be deadly. Impaired driving happens when someone operates a vehicle while impaired by a substance like marijuana, other illicit drugs, some prescribed or over the counter medicines, or alcohol. 12.6 million people reported driving under the influence of marijuana or other illicit drugs in 2018.
The drug-impaired driving fact sheet pdf icon[PDF – 671 KB] provides an overview of drug-impaired driving, highlighting strategies that states can use to address drug-impaired driving and identifying actions that could advance understanding of the issue.
Working together, we can help keep people safe on the road – every day. Keep alcohol-impaired drivers off the road.
Fact sheets are available for each state and the District of Columbia. They include national and state data on alcohol-impaired driving and alcohol-involved crash deaths, as well as an overview of proven strategies for reducing and preventing alcohol-impaired driving.
Teen Drinking and Driving – A Dangerous Mix
October 2012
The percentage of teens in high school who drink and drive has decreased by more than half since 1991, but more can be done.
Drinking and Driving – A Threat to Everyone
October 2011
US adults drank too much and got behind the wheel about 112 million times in 2010.