Research & Resources

Drinking and driving decreased from 2002 to 2017

Researchers wanted to examine driving under the influence (DUI) prevention work by studying the amount of DUIs in the United States and how it changed from 2002 to 2017. They used data from a national survey that asks people about drinking and risky behavior, including drinking and driving. They found that 15.1% of Americans drove after drinking from 2002 to 2004; over time, that decreased to 11.8% from 2012 to 2014 and to 8.5% from 2016 to 2017. They found that certain subpopulations such as men, young adults, white people, and high-income earners had greater risks of DUI. Additionally, researchers found that DUI arrests increased among women from 2012 to 2017. The paper, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol: Findings From the NSDUH, 2002-2017, was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. It was published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
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