1995 National Alcohol Survey

by Raul Caetano, M.D., Ph.D. and Catherine L. Clark, Ph.D
Rates of drinking and driving remain unacceptably high among U.S. adults, according to recent research supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The authors analyzed nationwide survey information on patterns of "driving under the influence" (DUI) among white, black, and Hispanic adults using a representative sample consisting of 1,582 blacks, 1,585 Hispanics, and 1,636 whites in the 1995 U.S. household population. Trained interviewers conducted interviews averaging one hour in respondents' homes. In each ethnic group, approximately 80 percent of people approached agreed to participate.

Self-reported rates of driving a car after drinking enough "to be in trouble if stopped by the police" were high, especially for men: 22 percent for white men, 14 percent for black men, 21 percent for Hispanic men, 7 percent for white women, 3 percent for black women, and 6 percent for Hispanic women. Lifetime DUI arrest rates were also higher for men than for women: 13 percent for white men, 11 percent for black men, 19 percent for Hispanic men, 2 percent for white women, 3 percent for black women, and 5 percent for Hispanic women.

Results showed that all drinkers seem to overestimate how much alcohol they can consume before driving becomes impaired. Men who had driven after drinking thought they needed an average of six to seven drinks to have their driving impaired. Even men who did not report any drinking and driving overestimated-they figured between four to six drinks.
Costs of Impaired Driving in the United States by State 
Estimated costs of impaired driving in the United States by state. The Impaired Driving State Cost Fact Sheets were developed by Alan F. Jensen, J.D., M.A.; Ted R. Miller, Ph.D.; Kenya L. Covington, M.A., of the Public Services Research Institute, 1999. The estimates were produced under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Partners in Progress Innovative Cooperative Agreement number DTNH22-97-H-55072. The information and opinions presented are attributable to the authors alone and may not represent the official views of the sponsoring agency.
Driver Characteristics and Impairment at Various BACs (PDF)
This laboratory study examined the effects of alcohol on driving skills at BACs of 0.00% to 0.10% in a sample of 168 subjects assigned to age, gender, and drinking practices groups. The study was designed to determine the BACs at which impairment of specific experimental tasks occur and the interaction of age, gender and drinking practices with BAC on the magnitude of impairment.
Number of Drinks and BAC in One Hour of Drinking
Number of Drinks and BAC in One Hour of Drinking
Number of Drinks and BAC in One Hour of Drinking
Researchers Identify Alcohol-Related Genes
Researchers at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver have identified 41 genes that play a role in whether a person becomes an alcoholic, Reuters reported June 21, 2002.