Drunk Driving Affects Public Safety and Car Insurance Rates

Drunk driving rates have fallen steadily in recent years, helping to maintain affordable car insurance rates for more drivers. Drunk driving rates have fallen steadily in recent years, helping to maintain affordable car insurance rates for more drivers.

A recent report from the Department of Transportation finds that the percentage of drivers with illegal blood alcohol levels had fallen from 7.5 percent in 1973 to 2.2 percent in 2007.

The federal agency noted that all 50 states plus the District of Columbia limit legal blood alcohol content to below .08 percent and that about 13,000 people die in alcohol-related crashes each year.

The Department of Transportation also indicated that it is working to find new ways to combat the problem of driving under the influence of drugs as part of an overall campaign against impaired driving and the dangers it presents. The survey found that 16.3 percent of drivers in traffic stops during weekend night hours tested positive for illegal drugs.

In other findings, the new statistics found that males were over 40 percent more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol, and that motorcycle and pickup truck drivers were statistically more likely to have illegal blood alcohol levels than other drivers. With overall DUI rates down though, lower car insurance rates may be one result.