Lesser deaths in road crashes due to drunk driving falling for past few years, but risks high

NEW DELHI: The gruesome road crash in Dehradun has shocked the nation, but official data show that deaths in road crashes due to drunk driving has been falling for the past few years, except a slight increase in 2022. Data show that while 2,376 persons died in road crashes due to drunk driving in 2019, the numbers reduced to 1,862 and 1,352 in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

In 2022, such fatalities increased to 1,503. The road transport ministry is yet to publish data of 2023.

Globally, speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and other psychoactive substances, non-use of motorcycle helmets, seat-belts and child restraints, and distracted driving are the four major causes of road crashes and fatalities. As per the World Health Organization, driving under the influence of alcohol and any psychoactive substances increases the risk of a crash that results in death or serious injuries.

In the case of drunk driving, the risk of a road traffic crash starts at low levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and increases significantly when the driver’s BAC is ≥ 0.04 (grams of ethanol per deciliter) or g/dL. In the case of drug-driving, the risk of incurring a road traffic crash is increased to differing degrees depending on the psychoactive drug used, as per WHO.

As per US Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), as alcohol levels rise in a person’s system, the negative effects on the central nervous system increase. “At a BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood, crash risk increases exponentially,” it says.