03 Jan Fewer people driving drunk
Data shows that fewer people in New York and elsewhere are driving while they are under the influence of alcohol. Similarly, the rates of people who drive under the influence of drugs have fallen since 2008 and have remained stable for several years.
These statistics come from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey has been given each year since 2002, making its results important for researchers who are tracking changes over time. In 2002, 15.3 percent of survey respondents reported that they had driven drunk within the previous 12 months. In 2014, that percentage had fallen to 11.1 percent.
The percentage of people who admitted in 2002 to driving while under the influence of a drug was 5 percent. An additional 3.3 percent of people admitted that they had driven while they were under the influence of both alcohol and drugs. In 2014, 4.1 percent of the respondents admitted to driving while they were under the influence of drugs, and 2.4 percent reported that they had driven while they were under the influence of both drugs and alcohol.
Several factors have likely contributed to the decrease in drunk driving rates. There have been numerous ad campaigns that have helped to inform the public about the dangers involved with such behavior. The penalties for drunk driving have also become more severe over time. People who are facing drunk driving charges may benefit by retaining criminal defense attorneys in order to see if there are ways to combat or refute such allegations, such as by challenging the results of a breath test or the method in which the traffic stop itself was conducted.