Traffic Safety Statistics
Alcohol-Related Crashes
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines a fatal traffic crash as being alcohol-related if either a driver or a nonoccupant (e.g., pedestrian) has a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 grams per deciliter (g/dl) or greater in a police-reported traffic crash. Persons with a BAC of .10 g/dl or greater involved in fatal crashes are considered to be intoxicated. This is the legal limit of intoxication in most States. General Statistics Traffic fatalities in alcohol-related crashes fell by 1 percent from 1995 to 1996. The 17,126 alcohol-related fatalities in 1996 (40.9 percent of total traffic fatalities) represent a 29…