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Drunk driving crashes, fatalities and injuries

Crashes | Fatalities | Injuries

Alcohol-related crashes, injuries and fatalities reached their peak around 1979. After that year, the number of crashes and injuries dropped off considerably due to changes in legislation and intensive enforcement. However, alcohol-related fatalities have remained relatively constant since about 1982, and that is a continued concern.

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Since 1990, alcohol-related fatalities have declined 10% (from 335), alcohol-related injuries have declined 32% (from 10,035), and alcohol-related crashes have declined 32% (from 13,309).

Crashes

The number and rate of alcohol-related crashes has increased very slightly over the past five years in Wisconsin, yet alcohol remains the single greatest driver contributing cause of fatal crashes.

In 2000, there were 9,096 alcohol-related crashes in Wisconsin. An average of one person was killed or injured in an alcohol-related crash every 74 minutes on Wisconsin roadways. Alcohol-related crashes in Wisconsin accounted for 6.5% of all crashes

Fatalities

In 2000, alcohol was a contributing circumstance in 301 traffic deaths.

That represents 38% of all traffic fatalities. Of the 538 drivers who died in 2000, 464 (86%) were tested for alcohol. Of those tested, 192 (41%) tested positive for alcohol and 165 (36%) were legally intoxicated (0.10 % Alcohol Concentration (AC) or higher).

In 2000, 38% of all pedestrians and 35% of all motorcycle operators killed in crashes had an alcohol concentration of 0.10% AC or higher.

Injuries

During 2000, there were 6,836 alcohol-related injuries in crashes. This represents 11% of all crash injuries. Alcohol-related injuries have decreased by 52% since 1983, when there were 14,282 such injuries.

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Questions about the content of this page:
Janet Nodorft, janet.nodorft@dot.state.wi.us
Last modified: March 2, 2005