Report Examines Rates of Driving Under the Influence

It is common knowledge that driving under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs puts a driver at risk, as well as anyone in the car or in his or her path. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) issued a report: State Estimates of Persons Aged 18 or Older Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Illicit Drugs.

Based on data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this report examines the likelihood of a person while driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of drugs. Illicit drugs can include marijuana/hashish, cocaine, inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin or prescription-type drugs taken for non-medical reasons.

In 2006, it was reported that an estimated 30.5 million persons aged 12 or older drove a vehicle under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past 12 months. Another 10.2 million persons aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs in the past year.

Data combined from 2004 to 2006 show that 15.1 percent of current drivers in the studied age range of 18 and older drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year. Rates were heightened among this age group in Wisconsin at 26.4 percent, North Dakota at 24.9 percent, Minnesota at 23.5 percent, Nebraska at 22.9 percent and South Dakota at 21.6 percent.

Those states with under the influence drivers lower than the national average included Arkansas at 10.8 percent, Kentucky at 10.5 percent, North Carolina at 10.4 percent, West Virginia at 10.1 percent and Utah at 9.5 percent.

This data also examined drivers aged 18 and older who drove a vehicle under the influence of illicit drugs within the past year. Data indicated 4.7 percent of these drivers engaged in the activity while under the influence of drugs. Rates were higher than this average in Columbia at 7.0 percent, Rhode Island at 6.8 percent, Massachusetts at 6.4 percent, Montana at 6.3 percent and Wyoming at 6.2 percent.

States that reported rates below the national average included Kentucky at 3.6 percent, North Dakota at 3.5 percent, South Dakota at 3.5 percent, Alabama at 3.4 percent and New Jersey at 3.2 percent.

Overall, it appears that alcohol is the bigger problem among drivers over the age of 18 in the United States. This does not rule out the need for programs that address driving while under the influence of illicit drugs, but it does highlight the need for increased attention on drunk driving initiatives.