The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-related health care and other economic costs. The goal of NHTSA's Impaired Driving Program is to meet the U.S. Secretary of Transportation’s objective of reducing alcohol-related fatalities to 11,000 by the year 2005.

In order to plan and evaluate programs intended to reduce alcohol-impaired driving, NHTSA needs to periodically update its knowledge and understanding of the public’s attitudes and behaviors with respect to drinking and driving. While global programs can be useful, one goal of NHTSA is to identify differences by racial groups so that specific actions can be taken to address the individual needs of different racial groups.

Telephone interviews were conducted with a nationally representative sample of persons of driving age (age 16 or older) in the United States in the Fall of 1993, 1995 and 1997. All three administrations received approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

This report combines the data from the three separate surveys undertaken by NHTSA to measure the driving age public’s attitudes and behaviors regarding drinking and driving to examine differences among those of non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, Asian, American Indian/Eskimo and Hispanic descent.

This report highlights the results of 10,453 respondents age 16-64 years old interviewed in these three administrations. It should be noted that due to questionnaire additions and deletions, data is only available for one or two of the administrations for some questions. The reader is directed to note the sample size for each figure and to refer to Appendix A: Methods for the procedure to determine if the differences between two percentages is statistically significant.

About 26% of persons age 16 to 64 have driven a motor vehicle within two hours of consuming alcoholic beverages in the previous year. These persons are referred to as "drinker-drivers" throughout this report. Males are two and one-half times as likely to have driven within two hours of drinking as are females (37% compared to 15%). Non-Hispanic Whites are the most likely to be drinker-drivers (28%), while Asians are the least likely to have driven within two hours of alcohol consumption (13%).

Non-Hispanic White drinker-drivers account for a disproportionate share of all past-month drinking-driving trips with 84% of all monthly trips, while they account for only 77% of the 16 to 64 year old population. Non-Hispanic Blacks report just 5% of all past month trips, while making up 9% of the population of interest.

On average, drinker-drivers consume 2.8 drinks prior to driving. Persons of non-White and non-Black persuasion consume more drinks on average than their White or Black counterparts.

Drinker-drivers operate a motor vehicle with an average blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .03, which is well below the legal limit for those age 21 or older; however, about 8% of drinker-drivers are estimated to have had a BAC of .08 or higher. BAC levels for the most recent trip were slightly lower for Non-Hispanic White or Non-Hispanic Black drinker-drivers than for other drivers. However, since more non-Hispanic Whites make any drinking-driving trip, the relative proportion of drinking-driving trips made with a BAC level of .08 or above is higher for these non-Hispanic Whites than for members of other racial groups.

Those of American Indian/Eskimo and Hispanic descent are more likely than other groups to meet the criteria for being a problem drinker¹. Problem drinkers are estimated to drive with BAC levels of .05 which is about twice as high as other drinking drivers do.

One in ten persons age 16 to 64 has ridden with a driver they thought might have consumed too much alcohol to drive safely in the previous year. One in three of these riders decided that their drivers were unsafe before they were riding in the vehicle, but still rode with them. Persons of American Indian/Eskimo and Hispanic descent are almost twice as likely to have ridden with a driver who may have consume too much alcohol to drive safely. American Indians/Eskimos are also more likely to have decided that that driver was unsafe prior to entering the vehicle.

The driving age public sees drinking and driving as a serious problem that needs to be dealt with. Eight of ten see drinking and driving by others as a major threat to their own personal safety and that of their family, and more than four of five feel it is very important that something be done to reduce drinking and driving. Non-Hispanic Whites are less likely to see drinking and driving as a major threat and are less likely to feel something needs to be done about it.

Large proportions of those age 16 and older are supportive of "zero tolerance" for drinking and driving for all drivers. A majority strongly agrees that people should not be allowed to drive if they have had any alcohol at all. Again, non-Hispanic Whites are less likely to support this "zero tolerance" perspective.

Two-thirds of those age 16 to 64 believe that they, themselves, should not drive after consuming more than two alcoholic beverages within two hours. Male drinker-drivers feel that they can safely drive after consuming about three drinks within two hours, while females see their limit as two drinks. An average 170-pound male would still be below the legal limit after three drinks, even if that were on an empty stomach.

When perceived self-limits are viewed in terms of estimated resulting BAC levels (based on weight and gender), these drinker-drivers would average a BAC level near .05.

Drivers under age 21 who drink are most likely to use various strategies to avoid drinking and driving occasions. Going to a place or event where alcohol was present, but not drinking alcohol, and drinking at such a place but not driving afterwards are the most likely strategies to be employed.

More than four in ten drivers age 16 to 64 who consume alcoholic beverages, report at least one occasion where they refrained from driving when they thought they may have been impaired. Most of these persons rode with another driver instead. Non-Hispanic Blacks are more likely than others to stay the night if they have consumed too much to drive safely.

Virtually all (94%) of those age 16 to 64 feel that they should prevent someone they know from driving if they are impaired. Persons of Asian or American Indian/Eskimo descent are less likely to feel that they should intervene with someone they feel has drank too much to drive safely. Three in ten of persons of driving age have been with a friend who may have had too much to drink to drive safely, with males of American Indian/Eskimo descent reporting the greatest number of such experiences. Nine of ten persons who encountered such a situation tried to stop the friend from driving. Intervention was successful about 80% of the time. American Indians/Eskimos who attempted to stop a friend from driving impaired were less successful than their counterparts of other racial groups.

One-third of those age 16 to 64 had ridden with a designated driver in the previous year, with those under age 30 most likely to have done so. Four in ten drivers acted as a designated driver in the past year. Those of Asian descent are least likely to have either ridden with, or been a designated driver. Designated drivers were reported to have consumed less than one-half of one alcoholic drink, on average, prior to driving. Non-Hispanic Whites report about half the alcohol consumption by their designated drivers than do other racial groups.

About 3% of the driving age public age 16 to 64 have been stopped by the police for suspicion of impaired driving. Of these, one in seven (15%) were arrested for a drinking-driving violation. American Indians/Eskimos are more than twice as likely as others to be stopped for suspicion. Despite the higher stop-rate for American Indians/Eskimos, it is Hispanics who report the greatest experience of arrests.

The driving age public generally feels that an impaired driver is more likely to have a crash than to be stopped by police. Consistent with the higher reported personal stop-rate, American Indians/Eskimos are more likely than others to feel that the police would stop an impaired driver.

About two-thirds of those age 16 to 64 feel that current drinking and driving laws and penalties are effective at reducing drinking and driving. American Indians/Eskimos are more likely to perceive these laws to be very effective than do others. Yet, more than two-thirds feel that drinking-driving penalties should be more severe. Non-Hispanic Whites are least likely to feel that the laws should be more severe.

Once charged with a drinking and driving violation, most persons of driving age believe that it is likely that a person will be punished. Despite the higher stop-rate for those of American Indian/Eskimo descent and the higher arrest for Hispanics, both of these groups are less likely than those of other races to feel that punishment is a certainty.

Three of ten persons of driving age (16 to 64) have seen a sobriety checkpoint in the past year. Non-Hispanic Whites are least likely to have seen a checkpoint, while Black males are most likely to report seeing one. A majority (68%) feel that sobriety checkpoints should be used more frequently. Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to support increased use of sobriety checkpoints.

More than four of five (84%) persons of driving age have heard of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels, but fewer than three in ten can correctly identify the legal BAC limit for their state.

Non-Hispanic Blacks are least likely to think they know the BAC limit in their state, and are least knowledgeable of all racial groups. Non-Hispanic Whites are the most knowledgeable about their state’s BAC levels.

More than one-half (56%) of those 16 to 64 who have heard of BAC levels support the use of a .08 BAC legal limit or stricter in their state. Eight of ten (80%) of those who currently reside in .08 states believe that the limit should remain at .08 or be made stricter, while 40% of those in .10 states feel their state should lower the limit to .08.

Support for .08 is weakest among Non-Hispanic Whites, of whom only half feel the BAC limit should be .08 or stricter, while six of ten non-Hispanic Blacks and those of other racial groups support a BAC limit of .08 or stricter.

One in ten persons of driving age were involved in a motor vehicle crash as a driver in the past year. Alcohol was involved in about 4% of reported crashes.

Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic drivers are much more likely than others to be involved in a crash than were other drivers and also more likely to report that alcohol was involved in those crashes.