WASHINGTON — The number of drunken drivers on the roads has fallen sharply during the past 30 years amid tougher laws, stiffer enforcement and a shift in societal views on alcohol, a government survey found Monday.
A roadside survey released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 2.2 percent of drivers had blood-alcohol levels of 0.08 or higher in 2007. The results represented a steady decline compared with studies conducted since 1973, when 7.5 percent of the drivers surveyed were legally intoxicated.
Government researchers last conducted the study in 1996, when 4.3 percent of drivers surveyed were legally intoxicated. In 1986, 5.4 percent of the respondents were legally drunk.
A separate government survey found for the first time that 16.3 percent of nighttime weekend drivers tested positive for drugs. The most commonly detected drugs were marijuana (8.3 percent), cocaine (3.9 percent) and methamphetamine (1.3 percent). Researchers said the presence of drugs can remain in a driver’s system for weeks, making it difficult to know whether those drivers were impaired.
The survey examined weekend nighttime drivers.
The study found a higher risk of encountering drunken drivers in the early morning hours — 4.8 percent of drivers had an illegal blood alcohol level from the hours of 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturday. It found that 1.2 percent of drivers were legally drunk during the hours of 10 p.m. to midnight on Friday night, while 0.2 percent were drunk during the daytime.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
