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What is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month?

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What is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month?

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National Impaired Driving Prevention Month has been around since 1981 due to the increase in alcohol and drug related crashes in the month of December. The need has been recognized for the use of education to assist in providing information and ways of prevention to decrease impaired driving!

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Impaired driving is DANGEROUS! The definition of impaired driving is as follows: a person operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or any drug.

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Safety First! Do you know the facts about teen drivers? How about statistics of teens driving while impaired?

"About 2,800 teens in the United States ages 13–19 were killed and about 227,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 (CDC, 2022)."

Click the link to find out more!

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Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. ¹ Teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable, and proven strategies can improve the safety of young drivers on the road.

About 2,800 teens in the United States ages 13-19 were killed 1,2 and about 227,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2020. ¹ That means that every day, about eight teens died due to motor vehicle crashes, and hundreds more were injured. Motor vehicle crash deaths among teens 13-19 years of age resulted in about $40.7 billion* in medical costs and cost estimates for lives lost in 2020. ¹

The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16-19 than among any other age group. Teen drivers in this age group have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers ages 20 and older per mile driven. ²

Teens who are at especially high risk for motor vehicle crashes include:

Males
The motor vehicle crash death rate for male drivers ages 16-19 years was three times as high as the death rate for female drivers in the same age group in 2020.²

Teens Driving with Teen or Young Adult Passengers
The presence of teen or young adult passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with each additional teen or young adult passenger.3,4

Newly Licensed Teens
Crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure.⁵⁻⁷ For example, data indicate that the crash rate per mile driven is about 1.5 times as high for 16-year-old drivers as it is for 18-19-year-old drivers.²

Inexperience:

Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate or not be able to recognize dangerous situations.8,9 Teens are also more likely than adults to make critical errors that can lead to serious crashes.10,11
Nighttime and Weekend Driving:

Nighttime driving is riskier than daytime driving for drivers of all ages but is particularly dangerous for teen drivers.

The fatal crash rate at night among teen drivers (ages 16-19 years) is about 3 times as high as that of adult drivers (ages 30-59 years) per mile driven.²

44% of motor vehicle crash deaths among teens ages 13-19 occurred between 9 pm and 6 am, and 50% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in 2020.²

Not Using Seat Belts:

Teens and young adults often do not consistently wear a seat belt.

Among teen drivers and passengers 16-19 years of age who were killed in car crashes in 2020, 56%† were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.²

43.1% of U.S. high school students did not always wear a seat belt when riding in a car driven by someone else in 2019.¹²

Data from annual studies where researchers observe people's seat belt use in cars indicate that seat belt use in the front seat among teens and young adults (16-24 years of age) is consistently lower than seat belt use among adults (25 years of age and older).¹³

Distracted Driving:

Distraction negatively affects driving performance for all drivers but can be especially dangerous for young, inexperienced drivers.

In 2019, among U.S. high school students who drove, 39% texted or e-mailed while driving at least once during the prior 30 days.¹²

Speeding:

Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and to allow shorter distances from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next.¹⁴⁻¹⁶ These risky driving behaviors appear to be worse when a male teenage passenger is present.¹⁶

35% of male drivers and 18% of female drivers (ages 15-20 years) who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash in 2020.¹⁷

Drinking Alcohol:

Drinking any amount of alcohol before driving increases crash risk among teen drivers.2,18 Teen drivers have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers at the same blood alcohol concentration (BAC), even at BAC levels below the legal limit for adults.¹⁸

Results from the 2019 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed the following:¹²

Among U.S. high school students who drove, 5.4% drove when they had been drinking alcohol at least once during the 30 days before the survey.

Driving after drinking alcohol was higher among students who were older, male, Hispanic, or had lower grades.

16.7% of U.S. high school students rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol at least once during the 30 days before the survey.

Riding with a drinking driver was higher among Hispanic students or students with lower grades.

Students who engaged in any of the other transportation risk behaviors measured by the survey were approximately 3-13 times as likely to have also engaged in driving after drinking alcohol at least once during the 30 days before the survey.

Even though it's illegal to drink alcohol or drive after drinking any alcohol for people who are under 21 years old, 2020 data revealed that:¹⁷

29% of drivers ages 15-20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking.

17% of drivers ages 15-20 who were involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes had a BAC of 0.08% or higher-a level that is illegal for adults in all U.S. states (Note: Utah has a BAC limit of 0.05%).

62%§ of drivers ages 15-20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes after drinking and driving were not wearing a seat belt.

24% of male drivers ages 15-20 years and 17% of female drivers ages 15-20 years who were involved in fatal crashes had been drinking prior to the crash.

Using Drugs/Substances:

Driving while impaired by any substance is dangerous and illegal. This includes driving while impaired by alcohol, marijuana, other illicit drugs, prescription medications, and/or over-the-counter medications.19,20

Many types of drugs/substances have the potential to impair a teen's ability to drive safely.¹⁹

After alcohol, marijuana is the most common drug associated with impaired driving.19,21

Marijuana has negative effects on judgment, motor coordination, decision-making, and reaction time-all of which are important skills for safe driving.19,22-25

Marijuana use before driving has been associated with an increased risk for motor vehicle crashes.23,24,26

Among U.S. high school students who drove, about 13% drove when they had been using marijuana during the 30 days before the survey according to results from the 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey.27,28

Declines in ability to drive safely and risk for motor vehicle crashes may be greater when driving after using both marijuana and alcohol as compared with driving after using marijuana by itself or alcohol by itself.²⁹⁻³⁴

Seat Belts Save Lives
At least half of teen drivers and passengers ages 16-19 years who were killed in passenger vehicle crashes in 2020 were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. ² Research indicates that seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half. ³⁵
Primary Enforcement of Seat Belt Laws
States vary in their enforcement of seat belt laws. A primary enforcement seat belt law allows police officers to ticket drivers or passengers for not wearing a seat belt, even if this is the only violation that has occurred. A secondary enforcement seat belt law allows police officers to ticket drivers or passengers for not wearing a seat belt only if they have pulled over the driver for another reason. Some states have secondary enforcement seat belt laws for adults but have primary enforcement seat belt laws for young drivers.

Seat belt use among all age groups is consistently higher in states with primary enforcement seat belt laws than in states with secondary enforcement seat belt laws. ³⁶⁻³⁸ Visit the seat belt and child seat laws by state webpage on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's website for up-to-date information on seat belt laws by state, including the type of enforcement, who is covered, and which seating positions are covered. ³⁹ CDC also has state-specific fact sheets that provide a snapshot of motor vehicle occupant deaths and seat belt use, as well as an overview of proven strategies for increasing the use of seat belts, car seats, and booster seats. You can also use CDC's Motor Vehicle Prioritizing Interventions and Cost Calculator for States (MV PICCS) to learn about how many lives could be saved, injuries prevented, and costs averted if your state were to implement a primary enforcement seat belt law. ⁴⁰
Not Drinking and Driving Prevents Crashes
Maintaining and enforcing minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws and zero tolerance laws for drivers under age 21 is recommended to help prevent drinking and driving among young drivers. ⁴¹⁻⁴³
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Systems Reduce Crash Injuries and Deaths
Driving is a complex skill and must be practiced to do it well. Teenagers have a higher risk for crashes because they lack driving experience and because they often engage in risk-taking behaviors. The need for skill-building and driving supervision for new drivers is the basis for graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems.

GDL systems enable new drivers to progressively gain driving experience and driving skills under lower risk conditions. The three stages of GDL include the following:

Stage 1: Learner's permit

Stage 2: Intermediate/provisional license

Stage 3: Full licensure

GDL systems exist in all U.S. states and the District of Columbia (D.C.), but the strength of GDL laws varies by state. GDL systems provide longer practice periods, limit driving under high-risk conditions for newly licensed drivers, and require greater participation from parents as their teens learn to drive. Research has consistently demonstrated that GDL systems are effective for reducing teen crashes and deaths. 36,44,45 For example, a meta-analysis [PDF - 93 pages] including 14 different studies about GDL systems found that GDL systems are associated with reductions of about 19% for injury crashes and about 21% for fatal crashes for 16-year-olds. ⁴⁴
Stage 1: Learner's Permit
Best practice GDL systems often include the following components: 4,46-48
Stage 2: Intermediate/Provisional License

Minimum age of 16 to obtain a learner's permit

A requirement to have a learner's permit for at least 12 months

At least 70 supervised practice hours

Stage 3: Full Licensure

No teen or young adult passengers

Restrictions on nighttime driving (from 9 or 10 pm until 5 am, or sometimes longer)

Minimum age of 18 to obtain a full license

Some states also don't allow any type of cell phone use (including hands-free cell phone use) by teen drivers. Some of these requirements are built into GDL systems while others are based on age. As of November 2022, 36 states and D.C. have young driver cell phone use bans in effect.

Current GDL research has explored how many teens delay getting a license, characteristics of teens who are more likely to wait, and whether teens who delay getting a license might be missing out on important benefits of GDL because they are aging out of the GDL systems in their states. 45,48-53

CDC's GDL Planning Guide can assist states in assessing, developing, and implementing actionable plans to strengthen GDL practices. CDC's State-Specific Fact Sheets on Costs of Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths contain recommendations of proven strategies for each state, including ones that could strengthen each state's GDL system.

Eight Danger Zones
Make sure you and your young driver are aware of the leading causes of teen crashes and injuries:

1. Driver inexperience

2. Driving with teen or young adult passengers

3. Nighttime driving

4. Not using seat belts

5. Distracted driving

6. Drowsy driving

7. Reckless driving

8. Impaired driving

There are proven methods to help teens become safer drivers. Learn what research has demonstrated that parents can do to keep teen drivers safe from these risks.

Parents can help their teens be safer by knowing and following their state's GDL laws. Check out GDL laws by state on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's website to learn more about your state's GDL laws. Also, parents can set additional restrictions if the GDL laws in their state do not align with best practice.
Monitoring, Supervision, and Involvement by Parents Can Help Keep Teens Safer on the Road
Parents can play an important role in keeping teens safe on the road. Some studies indicate that parental monitoring and involvement can help reduce risky driving behaviors and increase safe driving behaviors among teen drivers. 36,43,54,55

Research indicates that there are some potential technology solutions that can help parents monitor their teen driver. 36,56-59 For example, several different studies have evaluated the effectiveness of in-vehicle electronic monitoring devices. 36,56-59 These devices were beneficial for reducing unsafe driving behaviors among teens, particularly if they provided feedback about driving performance to both teens and parents and if they encouraged communication between teens and parents. Smartphone-based apps to monitor teen driver behavior may have the potential to be similarly beneficial and more affordable, but more research is needed. 36,59,60
Choosing a Vehicle with Safety Features is Important
Parents can take other important actions beyond monitoring their teen's driving. For example, they can provide supervised driving practice for their teen under varied conditions. They can also set clear rules and expectations like always wearing a seat belt and not driving with any other teen or young adult passengers. Parents and teens can discuss and agree on safe driving practices by signing a Parent-Teen Driving Agreement.

Teens are typically more likely to drive older cars than adults. 61,62 Older cars may lack critical safety features that could help prevent a crash or keep teens safe if a crash occurs. Parents and teens should consider a car's safety features first and foremost when choosing a first car for a teen driver.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety publishes a list of affordable vehicles that meet important safety criteria for teens. They also recently released a research paper explaining the benefits of newer vehicle technologies, like crash avoidance features and teen driver-specific technologies. These technologies have the potential to dramatically reduce teen crashes, injuries, and deaths.

* In 2020 U.S. dollars

† Seat belt use/nonuse was known for 1,658 of the 1,874 teens ages 16-19 years who were killed as passenger vehicle occupants (as drivers or as passengers) in 2020. Among the 1,658 teens who were killed as passenger vehicle occupants and for which seat belt use/nonuse was known, 936 (56%) were not wearing a seat belt.

§ These percentages are based on teen drivers ages 16-19 years who were killed as passenger vehicle occupants and for which seat belt use/nonuse was known.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). WISQARS - Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2022.

2. Yellman MA, Bryan L, Sauber-Schatz EK, Brener N. Transportation Risk Behaviors Among High School Students - Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019. MMWR Suppl. 2020;69(1):77-83. doi:10.15585/mmwr.su6901a9

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Drug-Impaired Driving in the United States - Fact Sheet [PDF - 2 pages] . Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; December 2020.

4. Azofeifa A, Rexach-Guzmán BD, Hagemeyer AN, Rudd RA, Sauber-Schatz EK. Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana and Illicit Drugs Among Persons Aged ≥16 Years - United States, 2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019;68(50):1153-1157. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6850a1

5. Compton RP. Marijuana-Impaired Driving - A Report to Congress [PDF - 23 pages] . Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); July 2017.

6. Kann L, McManus T, Harris WA, Shanklin SL, Flint KH, Queen B, Lowry R, Chyen D, Whittle L, Thornton J, Lim C, Bradford D, Yamakawa Y, Leon M, Brener N, Ethier KA. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2017. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2018;67(8):1-114. doi:10.15585/mmwr.ss6708a1

7. Venkatraman V, Richard CM, Magee K, Johnson K. Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasures Guide for State Highway Safety Offices, 10th Edition, 2020 (Report No. DOT HS 813 097) [PDF - 641 pages] . Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); July 2021.

8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Motor Vehicle Prioritizing Interventions and Cost Calculator for States (MV PICCS). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; February 2022.

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Teen Drivers and Passengers: Get the Facts

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Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. 1 Teen motor vehicle crashes are preventable, and proven strategies can improve the safety of young drivers on the road. About 2,800 teens in the United States ages 13-19 were killed 1,2 and about 227,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2020.

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1. Choose to never drink and drive.
2. Refuse to ride in a car with a teen driver who has been drinking.
3. Know and follow your state’s GDL laws & No Tolerance Laws.
4. Wear a seat belt on every trip, no matter how short.
5. Know your values & be confident in using refusal skills if feeling pressured to use alcohol and/or drugs.

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YOU ARE ALL AMAZING!

Random acts of kindness can be done daily. As we are in the holiday season , encourage, kindness, and gratitude is needed more frequently to keep up people's spirits!

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National Highway Traffic Safety Campaign

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National Highway Traffic Safety Campaign

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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Stats

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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Stats

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According to the NHTSA (2022), in 2020, 11,654 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths — a 14% increase from 2019. These deaths were all preventable.

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Overview

Every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes - that's one person every 39 minutes. In 2021, 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths - a 14% increase from 2020. These deaths were all preventable.

Traffic Safety Facts & Data Publications

Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.

As alcohol levels rise in a person's system, the negative effects on the central nervous system increase. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Then it passes into the bloodstream where it accumulates until it is metabolized by the liver. A person's alcohol level is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. This is called Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC. At a BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood, crash risk increases exponentially. Because of this risk, it's illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah where the BAC limit is .05.

However, even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability. In 2021, there were 2,266 people killed in alcohol-related crashes where a driver had a BAC of .01 to .07 g/dL.

BAC is measured with a breathalyzer, a device that measures the amount of alcohol in a driver's breath, or by a blood test.

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in g/dL

Typical Effects

Predictable Effects on Driving

.02

Some loss of judgment; relaxation, slight body warmth, altered mood

Decline in visual functions (rapid tracking of a moving target), decline in ability to perform two tasks at the same time (divided attention)

.05

Exaggerated behavior, may have loss of small-muscle control (e.g., focusing your eyes), impaired judgment, usually good feeling, lowered alertness, release of inhibition

Reduced coordination, reduced ability to track moving objects, difficulty steering, reduced response to emergency driving situations

.08

Muscle coordination becomes poor (e.g., balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing), harder to detect danger; judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are impaired

Concentration, short-term memory loss, speed control, reduced information processing capability (e.g., signal detection, visual search), impaired perception

.10

Clear deterioration of reaction time and control, slurred speech, poor coordination, and slowed thinking

Reduced ability to maintain lane position and brake appropriately

.15

Far less muscle control than normal, vomiting may occur (unless this level is reached slowly or a person has developed a tolerance for alcohol), major loss of balance

Substantial impairment in vehicle control, attention to driving task, and in necessary visual and auditory information processing

Driving After Drinking

Driving after drinking is deadly. Yet it still continues to happen across the United States. If you drive while impaired, you could get arrested, or worse - be involved in a traffic crash that causes serious injury or death.

About 31% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with BACs of .08 g/dL or higher). In 2021, there were 13,384 people killed in these preventable crashes. In fact, on average over the 10-year period from 2012-2021, about 10,850 people died every year in drunk-driving crashes.

In every state, it's illegal to drive drunk, yet one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 39 minutes in the United States in 2021.

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for teens, and about a quarter of fatal crashes involve an underage drinking driver. In 2021, 27% of young drivers 15 to 20 years old who were killed in crashes had BACs of .01 g/dL or higher.

To reduce alcohol-related fatal crashes among youth, all states have adopted a minimum legal drinking age of 21. NHTSA estimates that minimum-drinking-age laws have saved 31,959 lives from 1975 to 2017.

In 2021, the highest percentage of drunk drivers (with BACs of .08 g/dL or higher) were the 21-to 24-year-old age group and 25-to-34-year old age groups. Men are most likely to be involved in this type of crash, with four male drunk drivers for every female drunk driver.

In 2021, 5,932 people operating a motorcycle were killed in traffic crashes. Of those motorcycle riders, 1,624 (29%) were drunk (BAC of .08 g/dL or higher).

Motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes were found to have the highest percentage (28%) of alcohol-impaired drivers than any other vehicle types.

The 35-39 and 45-to-49 age groups had the highest percent, 35%, of drunk motorcycle riders killed in 2021.

Repeat offenders who drink and drive are a very real, very deadly problem. Drivers with BACs of .08 g/dL or higher involved in fatal crashes were 4 times more likely to have prior convictions for driving while impaired than were drivers with no alcohol (7% and 2%, respectively).

When it comes to drunk driving, it affects more than just the driver. In 2021, among children (14 and younger) killed in motor vehicle crashes, 25% were killed in drunk-driving crashes. Of those deaths, more than half the time (55%) the child killed was in the vehicle driven by the drunk driver.

In addition to the human toll drunk driving takes on our country, the financial impact is devastating: based on 2019 numbers, impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $68.9 billion annually.

Know the Facts Interactions between alcohol and other substances in the body such as certain medications or illegal drugs increase impairment and make driving more risky. Also see Drug-Impaired Driving

Driving a vehicle while impaired is a dangerous crime. Tough enforcement of drunk-driving laws has been a major factor in reducing drunk-driving deaths since the 1980s. Charges range from misdemeanors to felony offenses, and penalties for impaired driving can include driver's license revocation, fines, and jail time. It's also extremely expensive. A first-time offense can cost the driver upwards of $10,000 in fines and legal fees.

Many states require offenders to install ignition interlock devices at the driver's own expense. An ignition interlock device is a breath test device connected to a vehicle's ignition. The vehicle cannot be operated unless the driver blows into the interlock and has a BAC below a pre-set low limit, usually .02 g/dL. NHTSA strongly supports the expansion of ignition interlocks as a proven technology that keeps drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.

BEING A RESPONSIBLE DRIVER IS SIMPLE: IF YOU ARE DRINKING, DO NOT DRIVE.

1. Plan your safe ride home before you start the party, choose a non-drinking friend as a designated driver.

2. If someone you know has been drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. Take their keys and help them arrange a sober ride home.

3. If you drink, do not drive for any reason. Call a taxi, a ride-hailing service, or a sober friend.

4. If you're hosting a party where alcohol will be served, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver.

5. Always wear your seat belt - it's your best defense against impaired drivers.

If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact local law enforcement. Your actions could help save someone's life.

NHTSA demonstrates its commitment to eliminating drunk driving through research, public awareness campaigns, and state safety grant programs. We will continue until there are zero drunk-driving crashes on our roadways.

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Get resources on ways to prevent drunk driving and alcohol-impaired crashes along with national drunk driving statistics and facts.

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How can you manage your holiday stress? Here are a few tips!

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Creating art can help you acknowledge & recognize your emotions/feelings! Try it! Make a card, color, draw, sketch, paint, sculpt, etc.