Motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for persons in all age groups from 1 through 34 years. During 1993, 40115 traffic fatalities occurred; of these, 17461 were alcohol-related. During 1990, the economic impact of alcohol-related crashes was US$ 46.1 billion, including US$ 5.1 billion in medical expenses. In 1992, approximately 1 per cent of licensed drivers were arrested for driving while impaired. This report uses data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to describe state-level changes in the number and percentage of alcohol-related traffic fatalities and drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) equal to or greater than 0.01 g/dL who were involved in fatal crashes 1982-1993.
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