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During the period from 1982 through 1994, approximately 283,000 persons lost their lives in alcohol-related traffic crashes. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1995, Fatal Accident Reporting System, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C.)

In 1994, an estimated 16,589 persons died in alcohol-related traffic crashes -- an average of one every 32 minutes. These deaths constituted 40.8 percent of the 40,676 total traffic fatalities. (Ibid.)

About 297,000 persons suffered injuries in crashes where police reported alcohol was present -- an average of one person injured approximately every two minutes. (Ibid.)

The 16,589 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 1994 represent a 30 percent reduction from the 23,758 alcohol-related fatalities reported in 1984. (Ibid.)

Traffic crashes are the greatest single cause of death for every age from six through 28. Almost half of these crashes are alcohol-related. (Ibid.)

About two in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives. (Ibid.)

Alcohol-related crashes cost society $44 billion per year, yet this conservative estimate does not include pain, suffering and lost quality of life. These indirect costs raise the alcohol-related crash figure to a staggering $134 billion in 1993. (Miller, Ted. R. and Lawrence J. Blincoe, 1994, "Incidence and Cost of Alcohol-involved Crashes," pp. 583-591, Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume 26, Number 5.)

It is estimated that 2.2 million drunk driving crashes each year victimize 1.3 million innocent victims who are injured or have their vehicles damaged. (Ibid.)

In 1990, one in 100 drivers had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .10 or greater. About 21 billion miles were driven by drunk drivers. (Ibid.)

More than 80 percent of impaired drivers admitted to hospital emergency departments were not held responsible for their crime, according to a recent study. While a high rate of impairment existed in seriously injured motorists (45 percent) in a metropolitan region, the majority were not charged by the police. (Orsay, Elizabeth M. MD, et al, 1994, "The Impaired Driver: Hospital and Police Detection of Alcohol and Other Drugs of Abuse in Motor Vehicle Crashes," printed in Annals of Emergency Medicine.)

More than half of the persons jailed for driving under the influence (DUI) in 1989 had previous DUI convictions. About one in six persons jailed for DUI served at least three prior sentences in jail for drunk driving. (Cohen, Robyn L., 1992, "Special Report: Drunk Driving," Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.)

Youths arrests (for under age 18) increased significantly from 1984 to 1993 for drunkenness (42.9 percent), driving under the influence (50.2 percent), and drug abuse (27.8 percent). (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1994, "Crime in the United States - 1993," U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.)

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