In an investigatin of the epidemiology of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, an analysis was made of self-reports of 34,395 respondents in the 26 states conducting behavioral risk factor surveillance during 1986. An estimated 4.1% of the survey population and 7.2% of drinkers reported drinking and driving at least once in the month before the survey. In general, the prevalence of drinking and driving was highest among men, young adults, and divorced or separate persons. States with the highest prevalence of drinking and driving tended to cluster in the north-central region of the U.S. In 15 states conducting surveillance from 1984 to 1986, the overall prevalence of drinking changed little during this period. However, among persons less than 25 years old, the prevalence decreased. Efforts to deter drinking and driving are likely to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes and should include both legal sanctions and greater public education about the dangers of this behavior.
Abstract