Drunk Driving Accidents Are Declining

When I took office as Secretary of Transportation two years ago, I set a goal of reducing alcohol-related traffic fatalities to only 43 percent of total by 1997.

I'm happy to announce that we've achieved this goal -- two full years ahead of schedule. Last year, alcohol-related deaths on our roads were down to 42 percent of the total -- and these deaths continued to drop in spite of continued growth in travel.

Transportation Secretary Federico Peņa

ne of the most encouraging signs of progress against drunk driving is the reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that:
Traffic fatalities in alcohol-related crashes dropped by 5 percent from 1993 to 1994. The 16,589 alcohol-related fatalities in 1994 represent a 30 percent reduction from the 23,758 alcohol-related fatalities reported in 1984.

The proportions of intoxicated young drivers (with a BAC of .10 or greater) killed in motor vehicle crashes and of young drivers involved in fatal crashes, have decreased significantly since 1984. In both categories the number of drivers 15 to 20 years old who were intoxicated dropped by almost 60 percent between 1984 and 1994 -- the largest decline of any age group.

Importantly, of all traffic accidents reported by police, regardless of severity, only four percent of the drivers involved were reported by police as using alcohol.