Driver- and Passenger-Based Estimates of Alcohol-Impaired Driving in the U.S., 2001–2003
published online 13 April 2009.
Background
Alcohol-impaired driving (AID) continues to be a major public health problem in the U.S. The objective of this study was to estimate the number of annual driver- and passenger-reported episodes of AID and explore the effect of sociodemographic characteristics and drinking patterns on both behaviors.
Methods
Data from a nationally representative random-digit-dial telephone survey of U.S. adults were analyzed in 2007.
Results
From July 23, 2001, to February 7, 2003, an estimated 7 million drivers reported 190 million annual episodes of AID, and an estimated 10.5 million passengers reported 290 million annual episodes of AID. A comparison of estimates from this survey to those from a similar survey conducted in 1994 shows that episodes of both driver- and passenger-reported AID have increased by slightly more than 50%. Multivariable analysis revealed several gender differences in risk factors for both driver- and passenger-reported AID. For example, being of Hispanic ethnicity and not always wearing a seat belt were both associated with an increased risk of AID episodes for men but not women. A strong association between binge drinking and both driver- and passenger-reported AID was found for both genders.
Conclusions
Episodes of driver- and passenger-reported AID increased substantially between the middle 1990s and the early 2000s. The passenger estimates suggest that drivers may under-report AID by about 50%. Public health interventions to reduce AID should give equal consideration to impaired drivers and their passengers.
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Ruth A. Shults, PhD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Mail Stop F-62, Atlanta GA 30341
ABSTRACT