DOT 122-06
Contact: Brian Turmail
Tel.: (202) 366-4570
Friday, December 22, 2006
U.S. DOT Releases 2005 State-by-State Data on Alcohol-Related Traffic
Fatalities; Statistics Underscore Drunk Driving is Deadliest of Crimes
Coordinated Enforcement Crackdown & First-Ever Holiday Advertising Blitz
Underway Nationally
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters today released new
state-by-state data for 2005 showing that alcohol-impaired driving remains one
of the nation’s deadliest crimes. Last year, 23 states and Puerto Rico showed a
decrease in the fatality rate for crashes where the driver had an illegal
alcohol level of at least .08, while the rate in 21 states and the District of
Columbia increased and in 6 other states it remained flat.
“These statistics confirm what every police officer patrolling America’s streets
already knows: that irresponsible use of alcohol and driving are a tragic and
toxic combination that robs people of their potential and families of their
loved ones,” said Secretary Peters.
Also today, Secretary Peters announced that the Department launched the
first-ever, December holiday season advertising blitz to support impaired
driving enforcement committing $7 million for paid advertising as part of its
“Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest” campaign. She added that the ads
are directed at men ages 21-34, and will air nationally on television and radio
from December 20th through the 31st. These ads warn drivers in all 50 states,
the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico that law enforcement officials are
cracking down to catch and arrest drunk drivers.
This unprecedented holiday ad buy coincides with a nationwide law enforcement
crackdown that will run through New Year’s Eve and includes thousands of police
agencies throughout the United States. Peters joined officers in Phoenix, Ariz.
today, and Albuquerque, N.M. yesterday, to get a first-hand look at stepped-up
law enforcement efforts that include sobriety checkpoints and saturation
patrols, both proven to be effective tools in getting or keeping drunk drivers
off the road.
“As a wife, a mother, and a grandmother, I never want to receive a call saying
that a loved one will not be coming home because of a crash, especially one
caused by alcohol,” remarked Peters. “This coordinated air and ground campaign
is helping prevent our officers from having to make that dreaded phone call.”
The drunk driving data provide new details that will help law enforcement and
the U.S. Department of Transportation tackle this persistent problem, Secretary
Peters said. She noted that in the last two years alone, the Department has
invested more than $410 million in impaired driving efforts nationally to fund
programs ranging from education and enforcement to treatment and improvements to
the judicial process.
“Statistics are a vital tool in our battle against drunk driving,” said Peters.
“But, we must remember that there is a human face behind every one of those
numbers – a mother, an uncle, a brother or best friend that lost their lives
because someone made a lethal decision. This holiday season, every one should
picture their loved ones if they are planning to party. It will help you make
responsible decisions.”
NHTSA’s new statistical report on alcohol-related fatalities is drawn from the
agency’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). To view the data, please
visit:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/RNotes/2006/810686.pdf.
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Briefing Room
