The number of traffic fatalities related to drunken driving fell considerably from 2007 to 2008, both in Nebraska and in the nation, according to state and federal statistics.
The Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 12:00 am
The number of traffic fatalities related to drunken driving fell considerably from 2007 to 2008, both in Nebraska and in the nation, according to state and federal statistics.
According to the Nebraska Department of Roads:
In 2007 there were 256 traffic fatalities, with 92 killed in alcohol-related crashes. In 2008, there were 208 fatalities, with 67 killed in alcohol-related crashes.
The Nebraska figures represent a decrease of 19 percent in fatalities overall and a 29 percent decrease in fatalities involving alcohol.
Nationwide, alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities decreased 9.7 percent, according to the 2008 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In 2008, 37,261 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes, down from 41,259 in 2007. Drunk driving fatalities, ones involving a driver with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher, decreased to 11,773, the lowest number recorded since NHTSA began keeping records in 1982.
Overall, drunk driving fatalities accounted for 32 percent of all traffic fatalities last year. Forty-three states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico had reductions in the number of alcohol-impaired traffic fatalities.
The Century Council, a national nonprofit organization funded by distillers, issued a press release saying it was encouraged by the progress. It promised to continue its efforts to discourage underage drinking and drunken driving.