Alcohol-Impaired Driving

Alcohol impairment – or drunk driving – is a factor in nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities. In 2020 there were 11,654 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, an average of one alcohol-impaired-driving fatality every 45 minutes (Alcohol-Impaired Driving, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA]).

State and local law enforcement officials work year-round to identify alcohol-impaired drivers and get them off our roads. At specific times throughout the year, these efforts are amplified through the national drunk driving crackdown, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, organized by NHTSA. GHSA's member State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) work with their state and local law enforcement partners on this campaign, which combines high-visibility law enforcement with public awareness and education campaigns to deter or detect drunk drivers. Many states also conduct sobriety checkpoints throughout the year.

Many drunk drivers are repeat offenders. To prevent those convicted of drunk driving from making the same bad decision again, ignition interlocks are often employed. These devices analyze a driver's breath and disable the engine if alcohol is detected. Judges can mandate that all or a portion of convicted drunk drivers install interlocks in their cars for a specified period of time. All states now operate some type of ignition interlock program.