Drunk driving deaths per year Drinking and driving kills more than 10,000 people each year, though that number has decreased in recent years. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities make up just under 30% of all traffic fatalities each year, a trend which is also slowly starting to decrease over time: ies | Alcohol-related traffic fatalities | % of fatalities from alcohol Year | Total traffic fat: 2019 36,096 10142 28% 2018 36,560 10,511 29% 2017 37,473 10,908 29% 2016 37,806 10,967 29% Source: NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Annual ReportAge Young people are the most at risk for drunk driving. Drivers aged 21 to 24 account for 27% of all fatal alcohol-impaired crashes, followed closely by 25 to 34 year olds (25%). With that sai implementation of historical imum-drinking-age laws have saved over 30,000 lives. The minimum drinking age is 21 to curb the jh rates of drunk driving fatalities in young people. Age bracket | % of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashos 16-20 15% 21-24 27% 25-34 | 25% 35-44 | 21% 45-54 | 19% 55-64 15% 65-74 10% | mHistorical drunk driving statistics A\cohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased over time since 1985 80K ae 40x ° ~e—e—% 8 = 30K & ¢ “e 20K 5 o—e. ™~N ‘o—e—-®. iok, Ne —e—o— —_0—_ 9 o—_ 0 —_, 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 201520162017 2018 2019 Year © Total tafictatalities @® Acchol-impaired traffic fatalities