CDC: 300,000 Drunk Drivers a Day on the Highways

An estimated 300,000 incidents of drunken driving take place each day, according to a new government study, giving Americans a shocking 112 million times a year they could encounter a drunk behind the wheel of a vehicle. An estimated four million adults drink and drive each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 11,000 people die each year as a result.

The new CDC Vital Signs study was an review of data from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey.

Men, Young Men Biggest Offenders

The study also found:

• Men were responsible for 81 percent of drinking and driving in 2010.
• Young men, ages 21-34, only 11 percent of the population, were responsible for 32 percent of drunk driving episodes.
• Eighty-five percent of drunken drivers also reported binge drinking.

For the sake of the study, binge drinking was defined as five or more drinks for men or four or more for women during one drinking session.

"Drunk driving is a public health problem with far-reaching effects," said Linda C. Degutis, director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said in a news release. "Drunk drivers, who have delayed reaction times and reflexes, put even the most responsible drivers and pedestrians in harm's way. Public support to prevent drunk driving is strong."

More About Drunk Driving:

• What Happens If You Are Arrested for Drunk Driving?
  
• State by State Drunk Driving Laws
  
• Drunk Driving Enhancements Quiz

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