PRESIDENT CLINTON ANNOUNCES RECORD LOW FOR ALCOHOL-RELATED TRAFFIC DEATHS

NHTSA
September 2, 1999

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHTSA 41-99
Thrusday, September 2, 1999
Contact: NHTSA, Tim Hurd, (202) 366-9550

President Clinton today announced that alcohol-related traffic fatalities dropped slightly again last year, improving on a historic low recorded in 1997.

"Working together, we have made enormous progress on reducing drunk driving in this country," President Clinton said. "Last year, the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes hit a record low; and young people killed in alcohol-related crashes fell to the lowest rate ever recorded."

According to new data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, alcohol was involved in 15,935 deaths, which accounted for 38.4 percent of the traffic fatalities in 1998. The total number of traffic deaths also declined 1.3 percent in 1998. Fatalities dropped from 42,013 in 1997 to 41,471 in 1998. Alcohol-related fatalities dropped from 16,189 in 1997 to 15,935 in 1998.

"This tells us we are continuing to advance in the battle against drinking and driving, and thus improving safety, President Clinton's highest transportation priority," Secretary Slater said. "Safety is everyone's responsibility and all of us must do more to reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic deaths."

The rate of alcohol-related crashes per 100,000 population for youth ages 15-20 was the lowest since record-keeping for alcohol-related crashes began in 1982.

The number of crash-related injuries also declined between 1997 and 1998, dropping from 3.4 million to 3.2 million. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT)remained at the historic low level of 1.6.

The 1998 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) assessment by the department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also estimated that 12,131 people were saved by air bags and seat belts in 1998. Underscoring the value of seat belts, NHTSA observed that 56 percent of passenger car occupants and 74 percent of light truck occupants killed in 1998 were unbelted.

NHTSA Administrator Ricardo Martinez, M.D., said the findings validate the importance of seat belts.

"It isn't a cliche. Buckling up really can save your life," Dr. Martinez said.

The FARS also found:

* Fatalities involving large trucks dropped slightly from 5,398 in 1997 to 5,374 in 1998.
* Motorcycle deaths were up 8 percent from 2,116 in 1997 to 2,284 in 1998.
* Pedestrian deaths dropped 2 percent from 5,321 in 1997 to 5,220 in 1998.
* Rural interstate deaths rose slightly from 3,040 in 1997 to 3,095 in 1998.
* Of the 963 under-21 drinking drivers killed in traffic crashes, most (798) were killed in nighttime crashes.
* The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of alcohol-related deaths in 1998, 50.8 percent, followed by Texas (50.1 percent) and Nevada (49 percent).
* Utah had the lowest percentage of alcohol-related fatalities in 1998, 14.4 percent, followed by New York with 24.4 percent. Maine was the only other state with alcohol-related fatalities below 30 percent.
* Even though the youth population (ages 15-20) continued to grow, the youth alcohol-related fatality rate per 100,000 population was 9 in 1998, down from 10 in 1997 and the lowest rate since record-keeping began in 1982.

President Clinton also announced that nearly $43 million in NHTSA incentive grants would be awarded yet this month to qualified states to implement tough programs to combat drunk driving and to increase the use of seat belts and child safety seats.

NHTSA annually collects crash statistics from the 50 states and the District of Columbia to produce the annual FARS assessment. The final report will be available later this year. Information from FARS is available on the Internet at: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/ncsa/.

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The above quote and comments from President Clinton are available on the White House Press Office Radio Actuality Line at 202/456-5671.