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DRINKING AND DRIVING

COMBATING DRUNK DRIVING:
ENFORCING LAWS, EDUCATING DRIVERS, SAVING LIVES

The beverage alcohol industry has a long-standing commitment to working with government, private organizations, and individuals to prevent drunk driving. Working together substantial progress has been made. The most effective means of continuing this positive trend occurs through strict enforcement of existing laws, educating drivers, and targeting hardcore drunk drivers.

"I commend Mothers Against Drunk Driving and The Century Council for your firms stand against alcoholimpaired driving."
-President George W. Bush, April 10, 2001.

The National Trend Is Encouraging

Alcohol related traffic fatalities have moved consistently downward since 1982, the first year the National High Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began keeping such statistics.

  • There were 36% fewer alcohol-related fatalities in 2004 compared to 1982.1 And, according to the NHTSA, the percentage of alcohol-related traffic fatalities to overall traffic fatalities dropped from 60% to 39%, near its all time low, over the same time frame.2

  • The total number of drivers involved in fatal accidents with BACs of 0.08 or higher, the level of legal intoxication over most of the period, decreased 41% from 1982 to 2004.3

  • The number of 16-20 year old underage drivers involved in fatal accidents with any alcohol involved decreased 51% from 1982 to 2004 and the number of underage drivers in fatal accidents with BAC of 0.08 or greater decreased by 53% from 1982 to 2004.4

The Hardcore Drunk Driving Problem

While our nation has made great progress over the years it is important that our efforts continue, especially in regard to hardcore drunk drivers. Hardcore drunk drivers are drivers who are either arrested with a BAC of 0.15 or have had multiple drunk driving arrests. Hardcore drunk drivers continue to account for a disproportionate share of the drunk-driving problem.

  • Drivers with a BAC of .15 are 385 times more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers who have not been drinking5.

  • High BAC drivers account for 58% of the alcohol-related traffic fatalities.6

  • 22% of all drivers and 14% of drivers under 21 involved in fatal crashes where the drivers BAC was know, had a BAC of .15 or higher.7

Hardcore drunk drivers are resistant to changing their behavior in spite of previous punishment, education, treatment, or public disdain. Evidence indicates that hardcore drunk drivers are contemptuous of drunk driving laws and exhibit anti-social behavior in other aspects of their lives as well.

  • Hardcore drunk drivers are not affected by their arrests. One study showed that over one-in-four drivers with four or more DWI arrests would face new drunk driving charges in a given year. 8

  • Other evidence indicates that hardcore drunk drivers are more likely to have prior reckless driving
    • offenses, non-alcohol-related moving-violations and non-moving traffic violations.9

  • Hardcore drunk drivers are also more likely to have a history of non-traffic (non-DWI) related criminal activity. One study found that 72% of repeat DWI offenders had prior criminal records.10

Studies indicates that hardcore drunk driving can best be combated with comprehensive programs that apply swift, certain, and escalating punishments combined with effective treatment programs. 11

The Distilled Spirits Industry's Long Standing Commitment to Fighting Alcohol Abuse

The distilled spirits industry has a long standing commitment to the fight against drunk driving, as well as support for programs that combat underage drinking and all forms of alcohol abuse. DISCUS initiated model legislation to address the problem. Provisions of The Drunk Driving Prevention Act, are being considered or adopted by state legislatures around the country and include mandatory alcohol education for drivers, zero tolerance for underage drivers, administrative license revocation, anti-open container laws, and drug and alcohol testing for drivers in fatal crashes.

"MADD commends The Century Council and the
distilled spirits industry's vowed commitment to
fight for comprehensive drunk driving laws..."
-MADD National President Millie L. Webb

In addition, DISCUS joined The Century Council and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in support of a national BAC level of 0.08, when accompanied by comprehensive drunk driving legislation, including BAC education. The Century Council is a not-for-profit organization funded solely by America's leading distillers.

March 2006

1 NHTSA, Traffic Safety Fact 2004, Table 13.
2 Ibid.
3Ibid. Table 15
4 Ibid. Table 18
5 The Century Council, National Hardcore Drunk-Driver Project: Impact of Hardcore Drunk Drivers.
6 The Century Council, 2000 Report on Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities in the United States, p. 14 (Data Source: NHTSA/FARS-ARF, 9/6/00)
7 Ibid., p. 3.
8 U.S. Department of Transportation: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “State of Knowledge of Alcohol-Impaired Driving: Research on Repeat DWI Offenders”, p. 15
9 Ibid., p. 14
10 Ibid., p. 18
11 The Century Council, National Hardcore Drunk-Driver Project: Policies that Combat the Hardcore Drunk Driving Problem

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