Blood Alcohol Concentration refers to the percentage of alcohol in a person's blood stream. In most US states, a person is legally intoxicated if they have a BAC of .08 or higher (a few states have a legal intoxication law of .05). Those below a .08 BAC may include individuals under the age of 21, those in a state with .05 BAC or those involved in a poly-substance case (drugged impaired driving). In review of the 2018 fatality crash data, the most recent data with a BAC breakdown, 67% of crashes involved at least one driver with a BAC of .15 or higher [6]. Drivers with a BAC of .08 are approximately 4 times more likely to crash than drivers with a BAC of zero; while those at .15 are 12 times more likely to crash [7]. Based on cases monitored in 2021, 48% of defendants had a BAC of .15 or higher. (BAC) Blood Alcohol Content Data reported where BAC is known.
.26 or higher 4%
Below .08 7%
.20-.25 18%
.08-.14 45%
.15-.19 26%
Drugged Driving & Other Dangerous Concerns
Beginning March 2020, the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions around the nation and posed numerous challenges to everyday business operations. Mothers Against Drunk Driving was no exception to the sudden onset of the COVID-19 crisis. MADD court monitors continued to monitor impaired driving cases to the best of their ability. Due to court and proceeding closures and delays, many court monitors compiled data based off online court sources and virtual hearings. Due to closures and backlog, many case hearings have continued to be delayed. For additional reports or localized data for your state, please visit madd.org/courts. Covid-19's Impact to the Court Monitoring Program In addition to an increase in alcohol-related crash fatalities, speeding and seat belt non-use fatalities also increased. In 2020, there were 1,638 passenger vehicle drivers involved in deadly crashes who were not wearing a seatbelt, alcohol-impaired, and speeding [9]. This alarming statistic represents a 21% increase compared to 2019. Overall, 45% of crashes involved at least one of three behaviors (lack of seatbelt usage, alcohol-impaired, and/or speeding). Alcohol-related crashes are not the only danger on the roads. There is no doubt that drugged driving — meaning drugs other than alcohol — is a serious problem. NHTSA’s Drug and Alcohol Crash Risk Study found that marijuana users are more likely to be involved in crashes. Thomas et al. (2020) showed that alcohol, cannabinoid, and opioid prevalence increased among all drivers of motor vehicles during the second quarter of 2020 compared to the months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic [8]. To conclude, Drugged driving is a danger to everyone on the road. For more information on the MADD’s mission component to prevent drugged driving, please visit madd.org/the-solution/drugged-driving- prevention.
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