Alcohol is a major factor in traffic accidents.  Based on data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Admininstration (NHTSA) there is an alcohol-impaired traffic fatality every 40 minutes.

Alcohol-impaired crashes are those that involve at least one driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or above, the legal definition of drunk driving.  According to NHTSA, 12,998 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2007, down 3.7 percent from 13,491 in 2006. In 2007 alcohol-impaired crash fatalities accounted for 32 percent of all crash fatalities.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in 2007.  The arrest rate works out to one arrest for every 142 licensed drivers in the United States, based on 2006 licensed drivers (latest data available).

The definition of drunk driving is consistent throughout the United States. Every state and the District of Columbia defines impairment as driving with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) at or above 0.08 percent. In addition, they all have zero tolerance laws prohibiting drivers under the age of 21 from drinking and driving. Generally the BAC in these cases is 0.02 percent.

Antidrunk driving campaigns especially target drivers under the age of 21, repeat offenders and 21-to 34-year-olds, the age group that is responsible for more alcohol-related fatal crashes than any other. Young drivers are those least responsive to arguments against drunk driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

To make sellers and servers of liquor more careful about to whom and how they serve drinks, 43 states and the District of Columbia hold liquor servers legally liable for the damage and injuries a drunk driver causes.