Impaired driving

              Injury Prevention
Facts & Tips
Rev. August 2012
Injury Prevention Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health, 1000 NE 10th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73117 http://ips.health.ok.gov
Impaired Driving
• In the United States, approximately 30 people die every day from a crash involving an alcohol-impaired driver and annual costs for alcohol-related crashes exceed $37 billion.1,2 • In Oklahoma, nearly 40% of people in crashes between midnight and 3 am were part of an impaired-person crash. • In 2009, almost 10,000 people in Oklahoma were involved in an impaired-person crash. • People in crashes involving an impaired person were much more likely to be hospitalized or die than people in crashes without an impaired person. • People impaired by alcohol/drugs are much less likely to use safety equipment such as seatbelts or helmets for motorcyclists. • In Oklahoma, typical hospital charges for persons in a crash involving an impaired person were over $6,000 more than those in crashes with no impaired person.
Prevention
• Do not drive if impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. • Use a designated driver or make plans to use a cab if you plan to consume alcohol away from home. • If starting a new medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist if it may affect your ability to drive. • Parents and communities should work together to prevent underage drinking and make clear to young people the dangers and severe consequences of impaired driving.
Internet Resources
1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Impaired/
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/Impaired_Driving/index.html
3. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/alcohol_drugs.html
Impaired drivers put themselves and everyone around them at high risk of injury or death from a motor vehicle crash.
Many injuries happen in predictable, preventable ways.
Don’t drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Have a designated driver or take a cab. If starting a new medication, make sure you know how it affects you before driving.
Live Injury-Free!