State Alcohol Estimates
Traffic Safety Facts 1997

U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The following data provide estimates of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes for the United States and individually for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (not included in the national totals). These estimates are based on data from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Unfortunately, known BAC test results are not available for all drivers and nonoccupants involved in fatal crashes. Missing data can result for a number of reasons, the most frequent of which is that persons are not always tested for alcohol.

To address the missing data issue, NHTSA has developed and employs a statistical model to estimate the likelihood that a fatal crash-involved driver or nonoccupant was sober (BAC of zero), had some alcohol (BAC of 0.01-0.09), or was intoxicated (BAC of 0.10 or greater) at the time of the crash. The statistical model is based on important characteristics of the crash including crash factors (e.g., time of day, day of week, type of crash, location), vehicle factors (e.g., vehicle type and role in the crash), and person factors (e.g., age, sex, restraint use, previous driving violations), and whether or not the state had a 21-year-old minimum drinking age law.

The statistical model was developed using all available known data in the aggregate (that is, at the national level) and applied to each individual driver and nonoccupant with an unknown BAC test result. The estimates presented include a mix of both known and estimated BACs.

Great caution should be exercised in comparing the levels of alcohol involvement among states. Differences in alcohol involvement can be due to any number of factors not necessarily directly related to a state's alcohol traffic safety program. Factors affecting alcohol involvement in fatal crashes include:

Population demographics and the economic environment (older drivers and female drivers exhibit lower levels of alcohol involvement, drivers of older vehicles exhibit higher levels of alcohol involvement, pedestrian fatalities as a group exhibit high levels of alcohol involvement);

Degree of urbanization (alcohol involvement in single- and multi-vehicle crashes tends to be greater in urban fatal crashes, while alcohol involvement in nonoccupant fatal crashes is higher in rural areas);

Types of vehicles (motorcycle drivers exhibit high levels of alcohol involvement followed by drivers of light trucks/vans; drivers of medium and heavy trucks exhibit the lowest levels of alcohol involvement).

One of the major differences among states is in the degree of testing for driver and nonoccupant BACs. These differences in testing affect the accuracy and reliability of the estimates presented, and for 1997 range from a low of 15.5 percent known BACs to a high of 79.4 percent known BACs. States with higher rates of known BACs yield estimates of fatal crash alcohol involvement with greater accuracy and precision.

Estimates of Alcohol-Involved Fatalities

The following tables estimate alcohol involvement for the nation and on a state-by-state basis for 1997 and 1982 using NHTSA's discriminant function model as applied to the FARS data. This model estimates BACs of drivers and nonoccupants when their BAC is not available. The estimates presented represent the combination of known and estimated BACs.

A driver or nonoccupant involved is considered alcohol-related if he/she is involved in the fatal crash and exhibits a BAC of 0.01 or greater (the last column on the right in the tables). A fatality is considered alcohol-related if any driver or nonoccupant involved in the crash had a positive BAC. Estimates are presented for four categories:

(1) BAC of 0.00 (no alcohol)

(2) BAC of 0.01-0.09 (low alcohol)

(3) BAC of 0.10 or greater (high alcohol)

(4) BAC of 0.01 or greater (any alcohol, the sum of (2) and (3)).

Nationwide in 1997, alcohol was involved in 38.6 percent of the traffic fatalities (8.3 percent low alcohol and 30.3 percent high alcohol), translating to 16,189 alcohol-related fatalities.

Table 1. Fatalities by Highest Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in the Crash, 1982

State Total Fatalities No Alcohol

(BAC = 0.00 g/dl)

 Low Alcohol

(BAC = 0.01-0.09 g/dl)

 High Alcohol

(BAC 0.10 g/dl)

 Any Alcohol

(BAC 0.01 g/dl)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 839 372 44.3 89 10.6 379 45.2 467 55.7
Alaska 105 48 45.3 3 3.1 54 51.7 57 54.7
Arizona 724 317 43.7 73 10.1 334 46.2 407 56.3
Arkansas 550 214 38.9 66 11.9 270 49.1 336 61.1
California 4,615 1,894 41.1 498 10.8 2,223 48.2 2,721 58.9
Colorado 668 252 37.7 75 11.2 342 51.1 416 62.3
Connecticut 515 163 31.7 66 12.7 286 55.6 352 68.3
Delaware 122 42 34.1 11 8.8 70 57.1 80 65.9
District of Columbia 35 14 40.2 6 16.8 15 42.9 21 59.8
Florida 2,653 1,418 53.4 252 9.5 983 37.1 1,235 46.6
Georgia 1,229 509 41.4 145 11.8 575 46.8 720 58.6
Hawaii 163 63 38.6 18 11.2 82 50.2 100 61.4
Idaho 256 143 56.0 26 10.0 87 34.0 113 44.0
Illinois 1,651 683 41.4 202 12.2 766 46.4 968 58.6
Indiana 961 495 51.5 91 9.4 375 39.1 466 48.5
Iowa 480 255 53.0 47 9.8 179 37.2 225 47.0
Kansas 498 274 55.0 41 8.3 183 36.8 224 45.0
Kentucky 822 379 46.1 99 12.1 344 41.8 443 53.9
Louisiana 1,091 496 45.4 139 12.7 457 41.8 595 54.6
Maine 166 84 50.4 18 11.1 64 38.5 82 49.6
Maryland 640 292 45.6 61 9.5 288 44.9 348 54.4
Massachusetts 659 266 40.4 79 11.9 314 47.6 393 59.6
Michigan 1,392 562 40.4 136 9.8 693 49.8 830 59.6
Minnesota 571 260 45.5 47 8.2 265 46.3 311 54.5
Mississippi 730 319 43.7 79 10.8 332 45.5 411 56.3
Missouri 890 444 49.9 96 10.8 350 39.3 446 50.1
Montana 254 87 34.2 32 12.5 135 53.3 167 65.8
Nebraska 261 136 52.0 24 9.2 101 38.8 125 48.0
Nevada 280 93 33.3 34 12.3 152 54.5 187 66.7
New Hampshire 173 72 41.6 20 11.8 81 46.6 101 58.4
New Jersey 1,061 467 44.0 145 13.7 449 42.3 594 56.0
New Mexico 577 210 36.4 67 11.6 300 52.0 367 63.6
New York 2,162 1,143 52.9 241 11.1 777 36.0 1,019 47.1
North Carolina 1,303 520 39.9 137 10.5 646 49.6 783 60.1
North Dakota 148 53 35.9 15 10.0 80 54.1 95 64.1
Ohio 1,607 699 43.5 159 9.9 749 46.6 908 56.5
Oklahoma 1,054 463 43.9 121 11.4 471 44.7 591 56.1
Oregon 518 193 37.2 55 10.7 270 52.1 325 62.8
Pennsylvania 1,819 756 41.5 219 12.0 845 46.4 1,063 58.5
Rhode Island 105 36 33.9 20 19.3 49 46.9 69 66.1
South Carolina 730 300 41.0 69 9.4 361 49.5 430 59.0
South Dakota 148 59 39.9 11 7.3 78 52.9 89 60.1
Tennessee 1,055 397 37.6 112 10.6 546 51.8 658 62.4
Texas 4,213 1,325 31.5 553 13.1 2,335 55.4 2,888 68.5
Utah 295 182 61.7 18 6.1 95 32.1 113 38.3
Vermont 107 38 35.7 20 19.0 48 45.3 69 64.3
Virginia 881 416 47.2 87 9.9 378 42.9 465 52.8
Washington 748 273 36.5 73 9.7 402 53.7 475 63.5
West Virginia 450 221 49.2 33 7.2 196 43.6 229 50.8
Wisconsin 770 295 38.4 67 8.7 408 52.9 475 61.6
Wyoming 201 90 44.7 17 8.3 95 47.1 111 55.3
U.S. Total 43,945 18,780 42.7 4,809 10.9 20,356 46.3 25,165 57.3
Puerto Rico 480 245 51.1 40 8.3 195 40.5 235 48.9

Table 2. Fatalities by Highest Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in the Crash, 1997

State Total Fatalities No Alcohol

(BAC = 0.00 g/dl)

 Low Alcohol

(BAC = 0.01-0.09 g/dl)

 High Alcohol

(BAC 0.10 g/dl)

 Any Alcohol

(BAC 0.01 g/dl)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 1,189 716 60.2 96 8.0 377 31.7 473 39.8
Alaska 77 36 47.2 12 15.2 29 37.7 41 52.8
Arizona 951 518 54.5 86 9.0 347 36.5 433 45.5
Arkansas 660 467 70.8 51 7.7 142 21.6 193 29.2
California 3,688 2,374 64.4 331 9.0 982 26.6 1,314 35.6
Colorado 613 395 64.4 45 7.3 174 28.3 218 35.6
Connecticut 338 186 55.0 36 10.7 116 34.3 152 45.0
Delaware 143 82 57.3 20 14.1 41 28.6 61 42.7
District of Columbia 60 25 41.5 6 10.1 29 48.4 35 58.5
Florida 2,782 1,848 66.4 181 6.5 753 27.1 934 33.6
Georgia 1,577 999 63.4 138 8.8 440 27.9 578 36.6
Hawaii 131 72 55.3 12 8.9 47 35.8 59 44.7
Idaho 259 157 60.4 16 6.2 86 33.4 102 39.6
Illinois 1,395 808 57.9 123 8.8 464 33.3 587 42.1
Indiana 935 627 67.1 52 5.6 256 27.4 308 32.9
Iowa 468 294 62.8 48 10.2 126 27.0 174 37.2
Kansas 481 339 70.5 34 7.1 108 22.4 142 29.5
Kentucky 857 578 67.4 53 6.1 227 26.5 279 32.6
Louisiana 913 492 53.9 96 10.5 326 35.7 421 46.1
Maine 192 128 66.6 9 4.8 55 28.6 64 33.4
Maryland 608 387 63.7 57 9.3 164 27.0 221 36.3
Massachusetts 442 233 52.6 60 13.7 149 33.7 209 47.4
Michigan 1,446 888 61.4 126 8.7 432 29.9 558 38.6
Minnesota 600 407 67.8 32 5.4 161 26.8 193 32.2
Mississippi 861 517 60.0 58 6.7 286 33.3 344 40.0
Missouri 1,192 683 57.3 124 10.4 385 32.3 509 42.7
Montana 265 145 54.7 20 7.7 100 37.6 120 45.3
Nebraska 302 197 65.4 22 7.4 82 27.3 105 34.6
Nevada 347 187 53.8 43 12.4 117 33.8 160 46.2
New Hampshire 125 65 52.3 13 10.3 47 37.4 60 47.7
New Jersey 774 492 63.6 79 10.3 202 26.1 282 36.4
New Mexico 484 264 54.5 47 9.8 173 35.7 220 45.5
New York 1,643 1,194 72.6 115 7.0 334 20.3 449 27.4
North Carolina 1,483 955 64.4 101 6.8 427 28.8 528 35.6
North Dakota 105 55 52.2 4 3.6 46 44.3 50 47.8
Ohio 1,441 965 67.0 92 6.4 384 26.6 476 33.0
Oklahoma 838 536 64.0 62 7.4 240 28.6 302 36.0
Oregon 523 295 56.5 55 10.6 173 33.0 228 43.5
Pennsylvania 1,557 926 59.5 118 7.6 514 33.0 631 40.5
Rhode Island 75 34 45.4 8 10.3 33 44.3 41 54.6
South Carolina 903 585 64.8 45 5.0 273 30.2 318 35.2
South Dakota 148 87 58.7 15 10.0 46 31.4 61 41.3
Tennessee 1,223 727 59.4 90 7.4 406 33.2 496 40.6
Texas 3,510 1,762 50.2 379 10.8 1,369 39.0 1,748 49.8
Utah 366 291 79.4 25 6.8 50 13.7 75 20.6
Vermont 96 62 64.2 8 8.6 26 27.1 34 35.8
Virginia 984 601 61.1 85 8.6 298 30.3 383 38.9
Washington 676 376 55.6 68 10.1 232 34.3 300 44.4
West Virginia 379 233 61.4 17 4.4 129 34.2 146 38.6
Wisconsin 725 396 54.7 64 8.8 265 36.6 329 45.3
Wyoming 137 94 68.5 9 6.6 34 24.9 43 31.5
U.S. Total 41,967 25,778 61.4 3,485 8.3 12,704 30.3 16,189 38.6
Puerto Rico 591 299 50.5 65 10.9 228 38.6 292 49.5

Estimates of Alcohol-Involved Drivers

The following tables estimate alcohol involvement for the nation and on a state-by-state basis for 1997 and 1982 using NHTSA's discriminant function model as applied to the FARS data. This model estimates BACs of drivers and nonoccupants when their BAC is not available. The estimates presented represent the combination of known and estimated BACs.

A driver or nonoccupant involved is considered alcohol-related if he/she is involved in the fatal crash and exhibits a BAC of 0.01 or greater (the last column on the right in the tables). Estimates are presented for four categories:

(1) BAC of 0.00 (no alcohol),

(2) BAC of 0.01-0.09 (low alcohol),

(3) BAC of 0.10 or greater (high alcohol), and

(4) BAC of 0.01 or greater (any alcohol, the sum of (2) and (3)).

Nationwide in 1997, alcohol was present in 23.7 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes (5.9 percent low alcohol and 17.8 percent high alcohol).

Table 3. Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of the Driver, 1982

State Total Drivers Involved No Alcohol

(BAC = 0.00 g/dl)

 Low Alcohol

(BAC = 0.01-0.09 g/dl)

 High Alcohol

(BAC 0.10 g/dl)

 Any Alcohol

(BAC 0.01 g/dl)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 1,046 647 61.9 87 8.3 312 29.8 399 38.1
Alaska 143 83 58.3 9 6.1 51 35.6 60 41.7
Arizona 915 597 65.2 73 8.0 245 26.8 318 34.8
Arkansas 682 377 55.3 77 11.3 228 33.5 305 44.7
California 5,914 3,586 60.6 499 8.4 1,829 30.9 2,328 39.4
Colorado 817 450 55.1 78 9.6 288 35.3 367 44.9
Connecticut 678 343 50.6 81 12.0 254 37.4 335 49.4
Delaware 171 93 54.3 17 10.2 61 35.6 78 45.7
District of Columbia 50 31 62.7 6 12.6 12 24.7 19 37.3
Florida 3,564 2,506 70.3 255 7.1 803 22.5 1,058 29.7
Georgia 1,614 985 61.0 153 9.5 476 29.5 629 39.0
Hawaii 200 115 57.4 18 9.1 67 33.5 85 42.6
Idaho 287 188 65.7 25 8.6 74 25.8 99 34.3
Illinois 2,131 1,333 62.5 189 8.9 609 28.6 798 37.5
Indiana 1,269 851 67.0 90 7.1 328 25.9 418 33.0
Iowa 622 427 68.7 43 6.9 152 24.4 195 31.3
Kansas 646 456 70.6 37 5.7 153 23.6 190 29.4
Kentucky 1,015 662 65.2 80 7.9 273 26.9 353 34.8
Louisiana 1,407 891 63.3 159 11.3 357 25.4 516 36.7
Maine 208 139 66.9 13 6.0 56 27.1 69 33.1
Maryland 832 540 64.9 62 7.5 230 27.7 292 35.1
Massachusetts 831 482 58.0 83 9.9 267 32.1 349 42.0
Michigan 1,879 1,122 59.7 165 8.8 592 31.5 757 40.3
Minnesota 759 486 64.0 49 6.4 224 29.6 273 36.0
Mississippi 892 545 61.1 80 8.9 267 30.0 347 38.9
Missouri 1,141 765 67.1 81 7.1 295 25.8 376 32.9
Montana 299 152 50.8 35 11.8 112 37.4 147 49.2
Nebraska 342 232 68.0 23 6.8 86 25.2 110 32.0
Nevada 335 186 55.7 28 8.3 121 36.1 149 44.3
New Hampshire 223 133 59.8 19 8.6 70 31.5 90 40.2
New Jersey 1,369 875 64.0 141 10.3 352 25.7 494 36.0
New Mexico 660 371 56.3 63 9.6 226 34.2 289 43.7
New York 2,687 1,899 70.7 196 7.3 591 22.0 788 29.3
North Carolina 1,655 1,018 61.5 136 8.2 501 30.3 637 38.5
North Dakota 192 100 52.3 19 10.1 72 37.6 92 47.7
Ohio 2,045 1,238 60.5 169 8.3 637 31.2 807 39.5
Oklahoma 1,402 901 64.3 115 8.2 386 27.5 501 35.7
Oregon 653 360 55.1 65 9.9 228 35.0 293 44.9
Pennsylvania 2,368 1,420 60.0 239 10.1 708 29.9 948 40.0
Rhode Island 128 67 52.1 16 12.6 45 35.3 61 47.9
South Carolina 937 586 62.5 73 7.8 278 29.6 351 37.5
South Dakota 180 100 55.4 16 9.1 64 35.5 80 44.6
Tennessee 1,336 734 54.9 130 9.8 472 35.3 602 45.1
Texas 5,177 2,546 49.2 662 12.8 1,969 38.0 2,631 50.8
Utah 371 272 73.2 23 6.3 76 20.6 99 26.8
Vermont 121 67 55.3 17 13.9 37 30.8 54 44.7
Virginia 1,114 723 64.9 85 7.6 306 27.5 391 35.1
Washington 950 518 54.5 78 8.2 354 37.3 432 45.5
West Virginia 547 355 64.9 29 5.4 162 29.7 192 35.1
Wisconsin 991 549 55.4 83 8.3 359 36.3 442 44.6
Wyoming 234 144 61.7 16 7.0 73 31.3 90 38.3
U.S. Total 56,029 34,250 61.1 4,987 8.9 16,793 30.0 21,779 38.9
Puerto Rico 578 411 71.1 40 6.9 127 22.0 167 28.9

Table 4. Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of the Driver, 1997

State Total Drivers Involved No Alcohol

(BAC = 0.00 g/dl)

 Low Alcohol

(BAC = 0.01-0.09 g/dl)

 High Alcohol

(BAC 0.10 g/dl)

 Any Alcohol

(BAC 0.01 g/dl)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 1,623 1,215 74.9 94 5.8 314 19.4 408 25.1
Alaska 93 58 62.4 11 11.3 24 26.3 35 37.6
Arizona 1,230 904 73.5 72 5.9 254 20.6 326 26.5
Arkansas 853 693 81.2 44 5.2 116 13.6 160 18.8
California 4,851 3,858 79.5 295 6.1 697 14.4 993 20.5
Colorado 812 634 78.0 42 5.2 136 16.8 178 22.0
Connecticut 450 314 69.9 37 8.3 98 21.9 136 30.1
Delaware 187 135 72.4 16 8.7 35 18.9 52 27.6
District of Columbia 83 55 66.0 8 9.9 20 24.1 28 34.0
Florida 3,955 3,256 82.3 156 3.9 543 13.7 699 17.7
Georgia 2,168 1,713 79.0 122 5.6 332 15.3 455 21.0
Hawaii 180 132 73.3 11 6.3 37 20.5 48 26.7
Idaho 304 219 72.0 20 6.6 65 21.4 85 28.0
Illinois 1,913 1,414 73.9 120 6.3 379 19.8 499 26.1
Indiana 1,350 1,088 80.6 45 3.4 217 16.1 262 19.4
Iowa 649 491 75.7 49 7.5 109 16.8 158 24.3
Kansas 649 523 80.6 32 4.9 94 14.5 126 19.4
Kentucky 1,156 915 79.2 52 4.5 188 16.3 241 20.8
Louisiana 1,174 835 71.1 97 8.3 242 20.6 339 28.9
Maine 266 212 79.6 10 3.8 44 16.5 54 20.4
Maryland 904 720 79.7 54 6.0 129 14.3 184 20.3
Massachusetts 588 400 68.0 59 10.0 129 21.9 188 32.0
Michigan 2,058 1,585 77.0 129 6.3 343 16.7 473 23.0
Minnesota 843 676 80.2 35 4.2 132 15.6 167 19.8
Mississippi 1,110 816 73.5 56 5.0 238 21.4 294 26.5
Missouri 1,601 1,156 72.2 119 7.4 326 20.4 445 27.8
Montana 295 186 62.9 18 6.1 91 31.0 109 37.1
Nebraska 401 314 78.2 21 5.2 66 16.5 87 21.8
Nevada 485 347 71.6 48 10.0 89 18.4 138 28.4
New Hampshire 173 117 67.8 13 7.7 42 24.5 56 32.2
New Jersey 1,064 835 78.5 80 7.5 149 14.0 229 21.5
New Mexico 565 407 72.0 39 6.8 120 21.2 158 28.0
New York 2,208 1,839 83.3 103 4.7 267 12.1 369 16.7
North Carolina 2,012 1,609 80.0 89 4.4 314 15.6 403 20.0
North Dakota 131 90 68.9 4 3.3 36 27.8 41 31.1
Ohio 1,989 1,575 79.2 89 4.5 325 16.3 414 20.8
Oklahoma 1,096 856 78.1 50 4.6 190 17.3 240 21.9
Oregon 672 487 72.5 44 6.5 141 21.0 185 27.5
Pennsylvania 2,196 1,622 73.9 130 5.9 444 20.2 574 26.1
Rhode Island 98 59 60.5 9 9.3 30 30.2 39 39.5
South Carolina 1,185 942 79.5 41 3.4 203 17.1 243 20.5
South Dakota 178 126 71.0 11 6.1 41 22.9 52 29.0
Tennessee 1,658 1,244 75.0 83 5.0 331 20.0 414 25.0
Texas 4,690 3,181 67.8 398 8.5 1,111 23.7 1,509 32.2
Utah 460 404 87.9 20 4.3 36 7.8 56 12.1
Vermont 139 108 77.9 8 5.5 23 16.6 31 22.1
Virginia 1,339 1,008 75.3 78 5.8 253 18.9 331 24.7
Washington 876 629 71.8 61 7.0 186 21.2 247 28.2
West Virginia 526 402 76.5 19 3.5 105 20.0 124 23.5
Wisconsin 963 682 70.8 61 6.4 220 22.8 281 29.2
Wyoming 153 119 78.1 9 5.9 25 16.0 34 21.9
U.S. Total 56,602 43,209 76.3 3,313 5.9 10,080 17.8 13,393 23.7
Puerto Rico 738 513 69.5 68 9.3 157 21.2 225 30.5

Availability of Known BAC Test Results

The following tables present the percentage of drivers and nonoccupants involved in fatal crashes where a BAC test was given and the results were in the FARS file. Individual tables are presented for all drivers/nonoccupants, fatally injured drivers and surviving drivers.

Nationwide in 1997, a total of 16,521 fatally injured drivers had BAC test results out of a total of 24,644, or 67.0 percent. For surviving drivers, BAC test results were known on 8,195 out of 31,958 drivers, or 25.6 percent. Overall in 1997, FARS contained BAC test results on a total of 24,716 drivers out of 56,602 involved in fatal crashes, or 43.7 percent. Statistics for the base year 1982 are also presented. Any individual state proportion greater than the national percentage is considered good. The higher the proportion of drivers with known BAC test results, the more reliable the state estimate.

Table 5. Driver Fatalities by State and Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Test Status, 1982

State Total Driver Fatalities With Known

Results

 With Unknown

Results

 Not

Tested

 Unknown

If Tested

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 510 89 17.5 202 39.6 215 42.2 4 0.8
Alaska 63 27 42.9 2 3.2 28 44.4 6 9.5
Arizona 353 187 53.0 49 13.9 78 22.1 39 11.0
Arkansas 324 37 11.4 1 0.3 228 70.4 58 17.9
California 2,604 2,279 87.5 2 0.1 321 12.3 2 0.1
Colorado 369 314 85.1 6 1.6 49 13.3 0 0.0
Connecticut 311 212 68.2 19 6.1 80 25.7 0 0.0
Delaware 75 69 92.0 0 0.0 6 8.0 0 0.0
District of Columbia 16 14 87.5 0 0.0 1 6.3 1 6.3
Florida 1,304 423 32.4 208 16.0 662 50.8 11 0.8
Georgia 734 467 63.6 34 4.6 233 31.7 0 0.0
Hawaii 87 79 90.8 0 0.0 8 9.2 0 0.0
Idaho 131 29 22.1 18 13.7 68 51.9 16 12.2
Illinois 901 639 70.9 66 7.3 172 19.1 24 2.7
Indiana 599 285 47.6 102 17.0 185 30.9 27 4.5
Iowa 317 133 42.0 56 17.7 117 36.9 11 3.5
Kansas 315 59 18.7 29 9.2 209 66.3 18 5.7
Kentucky 502 365 72.7 23 4.6 113 22.5 1 0.2
Louisiana 591 128 21.7 249 42.1 209 35.4 5 0.8
Maine 99 50 50.5 5 5.1 43 43.4 1 1.0
Maryland 350 291 83.1 1 0.3 58 16.6 0 0.0
Massachusetts 370 44 11.9 239 64.6 19 5.1 68 18.4
Michigan 778 472 60.7 32 4.1 270 34.7 4 0.5
Minnesota 319 250 78.4 11 3.4 38 11.9 20 6.3
Mississippi 437 38 8.7 12 2.7 58 13.3 329 75.3
Missouri 534 144 27.0 12 2.2 153 28.7 225 42.1
Montana 148 79 53.4 0 0.0 34 23.0 35 23.6
Nebraska 161 89 55.3 13 8.1 33 20.5 26 16.1
Nevada 165 149 90.3 0 0.0 16 9.7 0 0.0
New Hampshire 107 51 47.7 9 8.4 47 43.9 0 0.0
New Jersey 524 453 86.5 3 0.6 68 13.0 0 0.0
New Mexico 305 253 83.0 21 6.9 27 8.9 4 1.3
New York 994 618 62.2 8 0.8 111 11.2 257 25.9
North Carolina 726 327 45.0 112 15.4 284 39.1 3 0.4
North Dakota 105 4 3.8 32 30.5 62 59.0 7 6.7
Ohio 899 390 43.4 128 14.2 277 30.8 104 11.6
Oklahoma 652 467 71.6 0 0.0 185 28.4 0 0.0
Oregon 293 269 91.8 2 0.7 22 7.5 0 0.0
Pennsylvania 1,061 734 69.2 80 7.5 247 23.3 0 0.0
Rhode Island 53 50 94.3 0 0.0 2 3.8 1 1.9
South Carolina 413 205 49.6 54 13.1 151 36.6 3 0.7
South Dakota 85 61 71.8 0 0.0 24 28.2 0 0.0
Tennessee 646 466 72.1 2 0.3 177 27.4 1 0.2
Texas 2,378 42 1.8 669 28.1 1,667 70.1 0 0.0
Utah 157 126 80.3 7 4.5 23 14.6 1 0.6
Vermont 59 51 86.4 1 1.7 5 8.5 2 3.4
Virginia 489 358 73.2 99 20.2 31 6.3 1 0.2
Washington 441 358 81.2 14 3.2 1 0.2 68 15.4
West Virginia 260 195 75.0 6 2.3 58 22.3 1 0.4
Wisconsin 459 390 85.0 6 1.3 58 12.6 5 1.1
Wyoming 117 87 74.4 10 8.5 20 17.1 0 0.0
U.S. Total 24,690 13,396 54.3 2,654 10.7 7,251 29.4 1,389 5.6
Puerto Rico 162 94 58.0 0 0.0 67 41.4 1 0.6

Table 6. Driver Fatalities by State and Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Test Status, 1997

State Total Driver Fatalities With Known

Results

 With Unknown

Results

 Not

Tested

 Unknown

If Tested

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 777 352 45.3 168 21.6 252 32.4 5 0.6
Alaska 47 30 63.8 0 0.0 16 34.0 1 2.1
Arizona 458 139 30.3 164 35.8 11 2.4 144 31.4
Arkansas 427 282 66.0 0 0.0 145 34.0 0 0.0
California 1,817 1,622 89.3 10 0.6 184 10.1 1 0.1
Colorado 375 317 84.5 2 0.5 56 14.9 0 0.0
Connecticut 199 173 86.9 5 2.5 14 7.0 7 3.5
Delaware 84 74 88.1 0 0.0 10 11.9 0 0.0
District of Columbia 21 2 9.5 1 4.8 17 81.0 1 4.8
Florida 1,478 831 56.2 35 2.4 580 39.2 32 2.2
Georgia 973 807 82.9 22 2.3 100 10.3 44 4.5
Hawaii 83 79 95.2 1 1.2 0 0.0 3 3.6
Idaho 153 100 65.4 7 4.6 46 30.1 0 0.0
Illinois 824 730 88.6 0 0.0 94 11.4 0 0.0
Indiana 615 366 59.5 62 10.1 180 29.3 7 1.1
Iowa 312 175 56.1 0 0.0 134 42.9 3 1.0
Kansas 322 189 58.7 4 1.2 113 35.1 16 5.0
Kentucky 549 329 59.9 4 0.7 215 39.2 1 0.2
Louisiana 512 204 39.8 145 28.3 123 24.0 40 7.8
Maine 118 107 90.7 0 0.0 10 8.5 1 0.8
Maryland 345 294 85.2 14 4.1 35 10.1 2 0.6
Massachusetts 264 228 86.4 0 0.0 13 4.9 23 8.7
Michigan 846 638 75.4 17 2.0 191 22.6 0 0.0
Minnesota 386 348 90.2 0 0.0 38 9.8 0 0.0
Mississippi 536 419 78.2 0 0.0 117 21.8 0 0.0
Missouri 775 561 72.4 5 0.6 105 13.5 104 13.4
Montana 173 127 73.4 0 0.0 26 15.0 20 11.6
Nebraska 191 150 78.5 1 0.5 40 20.9 0 0.0
Nevada 195 167 85.6 4 2.1 24 12.3 0 0.0
New Hampshire 76 63 82.9 2 2.6 7 9.2 4 5.3
New Jersey 404 319 79.0 2 0.5 83 20.5 0 0.0
New Mexico 237 203 85.7 2 0.8 17 7.2 15 6.3
New York 822 357 43.4 0 0.0 30 3.6 435 52.9
North Carolina 870 687 79.0 14 1.6 113 13.0 56 6.4
North Dakota 71 34 47.9 0 0.0 37 52.1 0 0.0
Ohio 944 438 46.4 219 23.2 238 25.2 49 5.2
Oklahoma 541 235 43.4 0 0.0 303 56.0 3 0.6
Oregon 306 287 93.8 0 0.0 16 5.2 3 1.0
Pennsylvania 975 587 60.2 27 2.8 191 19.6 170 17.4
Rhode Island 44 43 97.7 0 0.0 1 2.3 0 0.0
South Carolina 566 237 41.9 35 6.2 293 51.8 1 0.2
South Dakota 94 70 74.5 4 4.3 13 13.8 7 7.4
Tennessee 789 593 75.2 1 0.1 188 23.8 7 0.9
Texas 2,012 885 44.0 43 2.1 813 40.4 271 13.5
Utah 190 141 74.2 5 2.6 43 22.6 1 0.5
Vermont 61 38 62.3 0 0.0 14 23.0 9 14.8
Virginia 630 469 74.4 19 3.0 43 6.8 99 15.7
Washington 376 323 85.9 0 0.0 51 13.6 2 0.5
West Virginia 244 200 82.0 7 2.9 36 14.8 1 0.4
Wisconsin 466 416 89.3 1 0.2 47 10.1 2 0.4
Wyoming 71 56 78.9 0 0.0 14 19.7 1 1.4
U.S. Total 24,644 16,521 67.0 1,052 4.3 5,480 22.2 1,591 6.5
Puerto Rico 228 177 77.6 3 1.3 48 21.1 0 0.0

Table 7. Surviving Drivers by State and Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Test Status, 1982

State Total Surviving Drivers With Known

Results

 With Unknown

Results

 Not

Tested

 Unknown

If Tested

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 536 10 1.9 108 20.1 415 77.4 3 0.6
Alaska 80 26 32.5 0 0.0 48 60.0 6 7.5
Arizona 562 64 11.4 20 3.6 399 71.0 79 14.1
Arkansas 358 41 11.5 0 0.0 281 78.5 36 10.1
California 3,310 684 20.7 65 2.0 2,413 72.9 148 4.5
Colorado 448 206 46.0 0 0.0 240 53.6 2 0.4
Connecticut 367 80 21.8 19 5.2 268 73.0 0 0.0
Delaware 96 72 75.0 0 0.0 23 24.0 1 1.0
District of Columbia 34 10 29.4 0 0.0 23 67.6 1 2.9
Florida 2,260 467 20.7 199 8.8 1,477 65.4 117 5.2
Georgia 880 325 36.9 15 17.0 539 61.3 1 0.1
Hawaii 113 17 15.0 1 0.9 95 84.1 0 0.0
Idaho 156 22 14.1 22 14.1 108 69.2 4 2.6
Illinois 1,230 54 4.4 30 2.4 1,094 88.9 52 4.2
Indiana 670 154 23.0 40 6.0 440 65.7 36 5.4
Iowa 305 36 11.8 13 4.3 244 80.0 12 3.9
Kansas 331 26 7.9 17 5.1 277 83.7 11 3.3
Kentucky 513 100 19.5 18 3.5 394 76.8 1 0.2
Louisiana 816 236 28.9 140 17.2 420 51.5 20 2.5
Maine 109 15 13.8 3 2.8 90 82.6 1 0.9
Maryland 482 25 5.2 32 6.6 423 87.8 2 0.4
Massachusetts 461 19 4.1 4 0.9 202 43.8 236 51.2
Michigan 1,101 219 19.9 13 1.2 861 78.2 8 0.7
Minnesota 440 120 27.3 103 23.4 150 34.1 67 15.2
Mississippi 455 35 7.7 4 0.9 162 35.6 254 55.8
Missouri 607 31 5.1 15 2.5 467 76.9 94 15.5
Montana 151 40 26.5 2 1.3 83 55.0 26 17.2
Nebraska 181 101 55.8 7 3.9 50 27.6 23 12.7
Nevada 170 79 46.5 1 0.6 90 52.9 0 0.0
New Hampshire 116 28 24.1 5 4.3 83 71.6 0 0.0
New Jersey 845 237 28.0 3 0.4 603 71.4 2 0.2
New Mexico 355 29 8.2 64 18.0 232 65.4 30 8.5
New York 1,693 45 2.7 23 1.4 933 55.1 692 40.9
North Carolina 929 5 0.5 157 16.9 744 80.1 23 2.5
North Dakota 87 10 11.5 20 23.0 55 63.2 2 2.3
Ohio 1,146 186 16.2 52 4.5 828 72.3 80 7.0
Oklahoma 750 41 5.5 42 5.6 665 88.7 2 0.3
Oregon 360 94 26.1 3 0.8 263 73.1 0 0.0
Pennsylvania 1,307 163 12.5 30 2.3 1,114 85.2 0 0.0
Rhode Island 75 8 10.7 6 8.0 54 72.0 7 9.3
South Carolina 524 24 4.6 85 16.2 390 74.4 25 4.8
South Dakota 95 49 51.6 0 0.0 46 48.4 0 0.0
Tennessee 690 304 44.1 2 0.3 377 54.6 7 1.0
Texas 2,799 78 2.8 195 7.0 2,524 90.2 2 0.1
Utah 214 130 60.7 8 3.7 76 35.5 0 0.0
Vermont 62 41 66.1 1 1.6 15 24.2 5 8.1
Virginia 625 7 1.1 34 5.4 582 93.1 2 0.3
Washington 509 137 26.9 33 6.5 307 60.3 32 6.3
West Virginia 287 50 17.4 5 1.7 230 80.1 2 0.7
Wisconsin 532 91 17.1 28 5.3 410 77.1 3 0.6
Wyoming 117 22 18.8 7 6.0 86 73.5 2 1.7
U.S. Total 31,339 5,093 16.3 1,694 5.4 22,393 71.5 2,159 6.9
Puerto Rico 416 65 15.6 5 1.2 343 82.5 3 0.7

Table 8. Surviving Drivers by State and Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Test Status, 1997

State Total Surviving Drivers With Known

Results

 With Unknown

Results

 Not

Tested

 Unknown

If Tested

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 846 105 12.4 140 16.5 601 71.0 0 0.0
Alaska 46 35 76.1 0 0.0 8 17.4 3 6.5
Arizona 772 49 6.3 65 8.4 463 60.0 195 25.3
Arkansas 426 160 37.6 0 0.0 264 62.0 2 0.5
California 3,034 684 22.5 17 0.6 2,328 76.7 5 0.2
Colorado 437 144 33.0 0 0.0 293 67.0 0 0.0
Connecticut 251 72 28.7 11 4.4 138 55.0 30 12.0
Delaware 103 59 57.3 0 0.0 40 38.8 4 3.9
District of Columbia 62 15 24.2 6 9.7 40 64.5 1 1.6
Florida 2,477 396 16.0 68 2.7 1,887 76.2 126 5.1
Georgia 1,195 867 72.6 20 1.7 307 25.7 1 0.1
Hawaii 97 34 35.1 0 0.0 62 63.9 1 1.0
Idaho 151 42 27.8 7 4.6 101 66.9 1 0.7
Illinois 1,089 181 16.6 4 0.4 902 82.8 2 0.2
Indiana 735 332 45.2 81 11.0 312 42.4 10 1.4
Iowa 337 120 35.6 0 0.0 217 64.4 0 0.0
Kansas 327 131 40.1 2 0.6 181 55.4 13 4.0
Kentucky 607 225 37.1 4 0.7 375 61.8 3 0.5
Louisiana 662 367 55.4 63 9.5 206 31.1 26 3.9
Maine 148 102 68.9 0 0.0 46 31.1 0 0.0
Maryland 559 23 4.1 7 1.3 461 82.5 68 12.2
Massachusetts 324 2 0.6 0 0.0 291 89.8 31 9.6
Michigan 1,212 391 32.3 51 4.2 770 63.5 0 0.0
Minnesota 457 230 50.3 20 4.4 138 30.2 69 15.1
Mississippi 574 421 73.3 0 0.0 153 26.7 0 0.0
Missouri 826 65 7.9 6 0.7 738 89.3 17 2.1
Montana 122 79 64.8 0 0.0 31 25.4 12 9.8
Nebraska 210 151 71.9 0 0.0 59 28.1 0 0.0
Nevada 290 110 37.9 1 0.3 179 61.7 0 0.0
New Hampshire 97 45 46.4 8 8.2 17 17.5 27 27.8
New Jersey 660 245 37.1 5 0.8 410 62.1 0 0.0
New Mexico 328 58 17.7 17 5.2 244 74.4 9 2.7
New York 1,386 36 2.6 5 0.4 10 0.7 1,335 96.3
North Carolina 1,142 1 0.1 101 8.8 994 87.0 46 4.0
North Dakota 60 9 15.0 2 3.3 46 76.7 3 5.0
Ohio 1,045 178 17.0 136 13.0 696 66.6 35 3.3
Oklahoma 555 17 3.1 4 0.7 473 85.2 61 11.0
Oregon 366 159 43.4 1 0.3 204 55.7 2 0.5
Pennsylvania 1,221 141 11.5 53 4.3 802 65.7 225 18.4
Rhode Island 54 8 14.8 6 11.1 40 74.1 0 0.0
South Carolina 619 26 4.2 42 6.8 540 87.2 11 1.8
South Dakota 84 48 57.1 2 2.4 21 25.0 13 15.5
Tennessee 869 402 46.3 1 0.1 463 53.3 3 0.3
Texas 2,678 658 24.6 40 1.5 1,763 65.8 217 8.1
Utah 270 169 62.6 0 0.0 100 37.0 1 0.4
Vermont 78 18 23.1 0 0.0 53 67.9 7 9.0
Virginia 709 6 0.8 16 2.3 586 82.7 101 14.2
Washington 500 100 20.0 6 1.2 382 76.4 12 2.4
West Virginia 282 53 18.8 3 1.1 225 79.8 1 0.4
Wisconsin 497 196 39.4 1 0.2 300 60.4 0 0.0
Wyoming 82 30 36.6 0 0.0 51 62.2 1 1.2
U.S. Total 31,958 8,195 25.6 1,022 3.2 20,011 62.6 2,730 8.5
Puerto Rico 510 288 56.5 18 3.5 204 40.0 0 0.0

Table 9. Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Test Status for Drivers, Pedestrians, and Pedalcyclists

Involved in Fatal Traffic Crashes, 1982 and 1997

State 1982 1997
Total Involved Tested With Known Results Total Involved Tested With Known Results
Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama 1,161 110 9.5 1,726 479 27.8
Alaska 159 58 36.5 107 71 66.4
Arizona 1,093 315 28.8 1,416 227 16.0
Arkansas 765 80 10.5 915 463 50.6
California 6,896 3,575 51.8 5,791 3,011 52.0
Colorado 925 596 64.4 879 509 57.9
Connecticut 773 332 42.9 513 284 55.4
Delaware 201 169 84.1 206 149 72.3
District of Columbia 64 33 51.6 110 17 15.5
Florida 4,420 1,067 24.1 4,648 1,536 33.0
Georgia 1,808 869 48.1 2,384 1,826 76.6
Hawaii 240 126 52.5 202 134 66.3
Idaho 315 52 16.5 324 151 46.6
Illinois 2,524 883 35.0 2,177 1,095 50.3
Indiana 1,405 470 33.5 1,444 732 50.7
Iowa 675 173 25.6 683 303 44.4
Kansas 703 88 12.5 686 343 50.0
Kentucky 1,143 523 45.8 1,245 568 45.6
Louisiana 1,681 397 23.6 1,360 641 47.1
Maine 237 70 29.5 286 227 79.4
Maryland 975 423 43.4 1,031 408 39.6
Massachusetts 996 72 7.2 687 304 44.3
Michigan 2,177 796 36.6 2,264 1,143 50.5
Minnesota 847 413 48.8 908 622 68.5
Mississippi 980 90 9.2 1,170 873 74.6
Missouri 1,263 201 15.9 1,716 690 40.2
Montana 322 125 38.8 309 211 68.3
Nebraska 376 200 53.2 428 318 74.3
Nevada 392 272 69.4 559 319 57.1
New Hampshire 249 89 35.7 187 115 61.5
New Jersey 1,686 889 52.7 1,240 690 55.6
New Mexico 773 369 47.7 639 317 49.6
New York 3,430 951 27.7 2,678 488 18.2
North Carolina 1,932 427 22.1 2,226 844 37.9
North Dakota 203 14 6.9 137 45 32.8
Ohio 2,353 650 27.6 2,150 656 30.5
Oklahoma 1,538 592 38.5 1,172 283 24.1
Oregon 732 410 56.0 749 509 68.0
Pennsylvania 2,728 1,063 39.0 2,397 802 33.5
Rhode Island 159 80 50.3 107 59 55.1
South Carolina 1,093 294 26.9 1,311 314 24.0
South Dakota 197 126 64.0 186 120 64.5
Tennessee 1,464 836 57.1 1,783 1,071 60.1
Texas 6,028 125 2.1 5,248 1,676 31.9
Utah 425 278 65.4 503 333 66.2
Vermont 141 104 73.8 151 63 41.7
Virginia 1,284 454 35.4 1,458 551 37.8
Washington 1,068 561 52.5 979 493 50.4
West Virginia 605 267 44.1 553 274 49.5
Wisconsin 1,114 554 49.7 1,034 660 63.8
Wyoming 257 121 47.1 164 90 54.9
U.S. Total 64,975 21,832 33.6 63,226 28,107 44.5
Puerto Rico 818 256 31.3 1,006 651 64.7

State-Level Estimates on a Regional Basis

For the states in the various NHTSA regions, the following graphics summarize the estimated percentages of fatalities that were alcohol related (BAC of 0.01 or greater) in 1982 and 1997 and the estimated percentage of drivers involved in fatal crashes with BAC of 0.10 or greater (high alcohol).

Table 10. Estimated Percent Alcohol-Related Fatalities and Drivers With High Alcohol in Fatal Crashes

by Region and State, 1982 and 1997

Region and State Estimated Percent of Alcohol-Related Fatalities (Driver or Nonoccupant with BAC 0.01 g/dl) Estimated Percent of Drivers With High Alcohol in Fatal Crashes (BAC 0.10 g/dl)
1982 1997 1982 1997
Region I
Connecticut 68.3% 45.0% 37.4% 21.9%
Maine 49.6% 33.4% 27.1% 16.5%
Massachusetts 59.6% 47.4% 32.1% 21.9%
New Hampshire 58.4% 47.7% 31.5% 24.5%
Rhode Island 66.1% 54.6% 35.3% 30.2%
Vermont 64.3% 35.8% 30.8% 16.6%
Region II
New Jersey 56.0% 36.4% 25.7% 14.0%
New York 47.1% 27.4% 22.0% 12.1%
*Puerto Rico 48.9% 49.5% 22.0% 21.2%
Region III
Delaware 65.9% 42.7% 35.6% 18.9%
District of Columbia 59.8% 58.5% 24.7% 24.1%
Maryland 54.4% 36.3% 27.7% 14.3%
Pennsylvania 58.5% 40.5% 29.9% 20.2%
Virginia 52.8% 38.9% 27.5% 18.9%
West Virginia 50.8% 38.6% 29.7% 20.0%
Region IV
Alabama 55.7% 39.8% 29.8% 19.4%
Florida 46.6% 33.6% 22.5% 13.7%
Georgia 58.6% 36.6% 29.5% 15.3%
Kentucky 53.9% 32.6% 26.9% 16.3%
Mississippi 56.3% 40.0% 30.0% 21.4%
North Carolina 60.1% 35.6% 30.3% 15.6%
South Carolina 59.0% 35.2% 29.6% 17.1%
Tennessee 62.4% 40.6% 35.3% 20.0%
Region V
Illinois 58.6% 42.1% 28.6% 19.8%
Indiana 48.5% 32.9% 25.9% 16.1%
Michigan 59.6% 38.6% 31.5% 16.7%
Minnesota 54.5% 32.2% 29.6% 15.6%
Ohio 56.5% 33.0% 31.2% 16.3%
Wisconsin 61.6% 45.3% 36.3% 22.8%
Region VI
Arkansas 61.1% 29.2% 33.5% 13.6%
Louisiana 54.6% 46.1% 25.4% 20.6%
New Mexico 63.6% 45.5% 34.2% 21.2%
Oklahoma 56.1% 36.0% 27.5% 17.3%
Texas 68.5% 49.8% 38.0% 23.7%
Region VII
Iowa 47.0% 37.2% 24.4% 16.8%
Kansas 45.0% 29.5% 23.6% 14.5%
Missouri 50.1% 42.7% 25.8% 20.4%
Nebraska 48.0% 34.6% 25.2% 16.5%
Region VIII
Colorado 62.3% 35.6% 35.3% 16.8%
Montana 65.8% 45.3% 37.4% 31.0%
North Dakota 64.1% 47.8% 37.6% 27.8%
South Dakota 60.1% 41.3% 35.5% 22.9%
Utah 38.3% 20.6% 20.6% 7.8%
Wyoming 55.3% 31.5% 31.3% 16.0%
Region IX
Arizona 56.3% 45.5% 26.8% 20.6%
California 58.9% 35.6% 30.9% 14.4%
Hawaii 61.4% 44.7% 33.5% 20.5%
Nevada 66.7% 46.2% 36.1% 18.4%
Region X
Alaska 54.7% 52.8% 35.6% 26.3%
Idaho 44.0% 39.6% 25.8% 21.4%
Oregon 62.8% 43.5% 35.0% 21.0%
Washington 63.5% 44.4% 37.3% 21.2%
U.S. Total 57.3% 38.6% 30.0% 17.8%

* Not included in U.S. total.

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