BTS | Table 2-25: Fatalities by Highest Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in Highway Crashes

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Table 2-25: Fatalities by Highest Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in Highway Crashes

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	1985	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Total fatalities	43,825	44,599	41,508	39,250	40,150	40,716	41,817	42,065	42,013	41,501	41,717	41,945	42,196	43,005	42,884	(R) 42,836	(R) 43,510	42,642
Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes	23,167	22,587	20,159	18,290	17,908	17,308	17,732	17,749	16,711	16,673	16,572	17,380	17,400	17,524	17,105	(R) 16,919	(R) 17,590	17,602
Percent	52.9	50.6	48.6	46.6	44.6	42.5	42.4	42.2	39.8	40.2	39.7	41.4	41.2	40.7	39.9	(R) 39	(R) 40	41.3
BAC = 0.00
Number	20,659	22,012	21,349	20,960	22,242	23,409	24,085	24,316	25,302	24,828	25,145	24,565	24,796	25,481	25,779	(R) 25,917	(R) 25,920	25,040
Percent	47.1	49.4	51.4	53.4	55.4	57.5	57.6	57.8	60.2	59.8	60.3	58.6	58.8	59.3	60.1	(R) 61	(R) 60	58.7
BAC = 0.01 - 0.07
Number	3,081	2,980	2,560	2,443	2,361	2,322	2,490	2,486	2,290	2,465	2,321	2,511	2,542	2,432	2,427	(R) 2,326	(R) 2,488	2,481
Percent	7.0	6.7	6.2	6.2	5.9	5.7	6.0	5.9	5.5	5.9	5.6	6.0	6.0	5.7	5.7	(R) 5	(R) 6	5.8
BAC = 0.08+
Number	20,086	19,607	17,599	15,847	15,547	14,985	15,242	15,263	14,421	14,207	14,250	14,870	14,858	15,093	14,678	(R) 14,593	(R) 15,102	15,121
Percent	45.8	44.0	42.4	40.4	38.7	36.8	36.4	36.3	34.3	34.2	34.2	35.5	35.2	35.1	34.2	(R) 34	(R) 35	35.5

KEY: BAC = blood alcohol concentration; R= revised.

NOTES

BAC values have been assigned by U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) when alcohol test results are unknown. Alcohol-related crashes pertain to the BAC of the driver and nonoccupants struck by motor vehicles. For some years, numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

In 2001 the NHTSA adopted a new method to estimate missing blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test result data. This new method, multiple imputation, is being used by NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) to improve the scope of alcohol involvement statistics by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. As a result of the methodology change, BAC 0.08 breakouts, which coincide with many state laws, can now be determined. Thus, NHTSA's general reporting categories have been modified to reflect this and are now BAC 0.00, BAC 0.01-0.07, and BAC 0.08+.

SOURCE

1985-2005: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts - Alcohol (Washington DC: 2006), Internet site http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2004/809905.pdf as of Oct. 24, 2006.

2006: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, FARS database, personal communication, Oct. 4, 2007.