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National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month -- December 1997

Persons who drive while impaired by alcohol or other drugs are a public health hazard to themselves and to others. During 1996, alcohol-related motor-vehicle crashes resulted in 17,126 deaths in the United States (1). From 1987 to 1996, the total number of traffic fatalities decreased by approximately 10% (from 46,390 to 41,907, respectively), and the proportion of traffic fatalities that were alcohol-related decreased by approximately 20% (51% versus 41%, respectively) (1,2). Despite these reductions, alcohol-related motor-vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults.

December has been designated National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month by the National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month Coalition, a nationwide public- and private-sector coalition for the prevention of crashes related to impaired driving. Additional information about National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month is available from the Impaired Driving Division, Office of Traffic Injury Control Programs (NTS-11), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590; telephone (202) 366-9588; World-Wide Web site http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

References

  1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic safety facts, 1996: alcohol. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Research, and Development, 1997.

  2. CDC. Reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities -- United States, 1990-1992. MMWR 1993;42:905-9.


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