CDC: Millions of Americans are getting behind the wheel drunk

Nearly 2 percent of all American adults – exactly 4.2 million, said that yes, they had been driving under the influence in the month prior to the survey. The CDC researchers were of the view that situation can be avoided. The CDC researchers stress that “alcohol-impaired driving crashes have accounted for about one third of all US crash fatalities in the past two decades”.

Dr. Scott Krakower, an expert in alcohol abuse issues and psychiatry from Zucker Hillside Hospital (New York), agrees with the CDC researchers.

He went on to add that the bottom line of this argument is a simple one: if someone is drinking, they should refrain from driving a motor vehicle as this would put innocent lives in danger. “If you’re drinking, don’t get behind the wheel and take a chance on being arrested or hurting yourself or someone else”, the team behind Faces of Drunk Driving said.

People who live in Hawaii are the likeliest of those of any state to drive drunk, and Midwesterners also have high rates of drunk driving, according to a new report of drunk driving rates in the United States. To determine the prevalence, number of episodes, and annual rate of alcohol-impaired driving, the agency reviewed data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey.

More than four million people admitted to driving while intoxicated at least once in the last month – the Midwest faring the worst in terms of drunk driving.

In addition to an increase in binge drinking cases, Toomey says drink portions at many restaurants are also growing in size, similar to food portions. “Research has also shown that underage drinking may progress onward to a serious alcohol problem in adults”, Krakower added. Overall, men accounted for 80 percent of drunk drivers, majority of them were binge drinkers, according to the study. These include publicized sobriety checkpoints and a strict enforcement of 0.08 g/dL, blood alcohol content laws as well as ignition interlocks for all persons convicted of alcohol-impaired driving, increasing alcohol taxes and enacting primary enforcement seat belt laws.