Drink Driving Facts
All employers conducting a workplace drug and alcohol testing program should provide factual information from reliable sources to employees. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published a Web page with facts about alcohol and driving.
The hard facts on drink driving accidents are:
During 2005, 16,885 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, representing 39% of all traffic-related deaths (NHTSA 2006). In 2005, nearly 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics (Department of Justice 2005). That’s less than one percent of the 159 million self-reported episodes of alcohol–impaired driving among U.S. adults each year (Alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults, 1993-2002. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2005;28(4):345-350). Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are generally used in combination with alcohol. (Source: State of knowledge of drug-impaired driving, NHTSA, 2003. Report DOT HS 809 642). More than half of the 414 child passengers ages 14 and younger who died in alcohol-related crashes during 2005 were riding with the drinking driver (NHTSA 2006). In 2005, 48 children age 14 years and younger who were killed as pedestrians or pedalcyclists were struck by impaired drivers (NHTSA 2006).
Some other good resources for drinking driving that are relevant for workplace drug and alcohol testing programs:
The DaytaTree Team