Early results from the 2004 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) show that the number of alcohol-related¹ fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes declined from 2003. This is the second consecutive year in which alcohol-related fatalities have declined, after reaching a recent high of 17,524 in 2002. With an expected increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the alcohol-related fatality rate per 100 million VMT will be 0.57, the lowest recorded by the Department of Transportation. Also, fatalities in “high-alcohol” crashes, i.e., crashes where the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .08 grams per deciliter or above, also declined by 1.8 percent, to 14,409 fatalities.

Table 1 depicts fatalities in traffic crashes by the highest BAC in the crash. There were 411 fewer alcohol-related fatalities (BAC=.01+), a decline of 2.4 percent compared to 2003. In crashes where the highest BAC was .08+, there were 269 fewer fatalities, a decline of 1.8 percent.

Table 1
Fatalities in Traffic Crashes by Highest BAC in the Crash

Table 2 depicts the fatalities shown in Table 1 by the role of the person(s) who had alcohol and the highest BAC level in the crash. For example, Drivers Only (Drv Only) implies that driver(s) were the only people with alcohol, and Driver + Nonoccupant (Drv + NO) implies both a driver and a nonoccupant had alcohol.

Table 2
Alcohol-Related Fatalities by Role of Person with Alcohol

As seen in Table 2, a majority (79 percent) of the alcohol-related fatalities occurred in crashes in which drivers were the only persons with alcohol. Additionally, about 8 percent of the alcohol-related fatalities occurred in crashes where the motorcycle operators were the only persons with alcohol. About 10 percent of alcohol-related fatalities occurred in crashes where nonoccupants were the only persons with alcohol.

Table 3 depicts the role of the people killed in alcohol-related crashes. About half of the fatalities occurred to drivers who had alcohol, and an additional 17 percent to passengers who were riding with them. About 12 percent of the fatalities occurred to nonoccupants and about 8 percent to motorcycle operators with alcohol. Thus, slightly more than 85 percent of the alcohol-related fatalities occurred to drivers/motorcycle operators or nonoccupants with alcohol, or to people riding with these drivers/motorcycle operators.

Table 3
Alcohol-Related Fatalities, by Role

Role	2003		2004
	Num	% of Total	Num	% of Total
Driver w/ alcohol	8,402	49%	8,199	49%
Passengers	2,916	17%	2,763	17%
Motorcycle Operators w/ alcohol	1,271	7%	1,264	8%
Riders	111	1%	118	1%
Nonoccupant w/ alcohol	1,969	12%	1,969	12%
Subtotal	14,669	86%	14,313	87%
Driver w/ no alcohol	1,044	6%	986	6%
Passengers	591	3%	646	4%
Motorcycle Operators w/ no alcohol	147	1%	156	1%
Riders	17	0%	21	0%
Nonoccupant w/ no alcohol	574	3%	515	3%
Other/Unknown	65	0%	57	0%
Total	17,105	100%	16,694	100%
Source: FARS 2003 [Final], 2004 [ARF]. Counts may not add up to totals due to independent rounding.

Table 4 shows, by State, the breakdown of total fatalities as well as fatalities in alcohol-related and high-alcohol crashes and the change in the fatalities and percent change from 2003 to 2004. A total of 32 States and the District of Columbia showed a decline in alcohol-related fatalities in 2004 from 2003 while 31 States and the District of Columbia showed a decline in fatalities that occur in high-alcohol crashes.

Table 4
Total Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes, Alcohol-Related Fatalities, Fatalities in High-Alcohol (BAC=.08+) Crashes, Change and Percent Change, 2003-2004

This Crash*Stats and other general information on highway traffic safety may be accessed by Internet users at:
www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-30/ncsa/AvailInf.html

¹Fatalities that occur in a crash involving at least one driver, pedestrian, or pedalcyclist with a BAC of .01 or above.