Traffic Tech #230: Racial And Ethnic Differences In Drinking And Driving Attitudes And Behaviors |
|---|
|
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducts a telephone survey every two years to measure the status of attitudes, knowledge, and behavior of the general driving age public about drinking and driving (see Traffic Techs 89, 135, 192). NHTSA asked the Gallup Organization to merge data from the 1993, 1995, and 1997 surveys to get a sample large enough to permit analysis by race and ethnicity, which were not reported in the earlier surveys. Merging the data files yielded a total unweighted sample size of 10,453 persons aged 16 to 64 consisting of 7,955 whites, 1,026 African Americans, 274 Asians, 197 American Indians/ Eskimos, and 743 Hispanics. Race and ethnicity were determined by the answers to two questions: Which category best describes your racial background? [and, if they said Hispanic] Do you consider yourself White-Hispanic or Black-Hispanic?
Drove Within 2 Hours After Drinking
One in four (24 percent) persons age 16 to 64 have driven a motor vehicle within two hours of consuming alcohol in the past year. Males are more likely to exhibit such behaviors than females (37 vs 15 percent), and this pattern is found across all races and ethnicities. There are some differences among racial and ethnic groups in drinking and driving attitudes and behaviors. More than a quarter (28 percent) of white, non-Hispanic persons, which make up the largest sample, are more likely than any other racial group to report having driven within 2 hours of consuming alcohol in the past month. American Indian/Eskimos report the second highest prevalence at 21 percent. Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians report 17, 16, and 13 percent, respectively, for having driven within two hours after drinking in the past month. Whites age 21 to 29 report the highest prevalence of this behavior (37 percent), which is almost twice the rate for other racial groups.
Drinking Driving Trips and Number of Passengers
Those who said they have driven within two hours after drinking any alcohol report an average of 11 such trips in the past year (males 14.4 vs females 5.9 trips). Whites account for 84 percent of all monthly trips, while this groups comprises 77 percent of the 16 to 64 year old population. The percentages for monthly alcohol trips and population are: Blacks -- 5 and 9 percent; Hispanics -- 5 and 7 percent; Asian Americans -- 1 and 2 percent; and Native Americans and Eskimos -- 3 and 2 percent.
About 52 percent of drinking drivers have other passengers with them when during these trips for an average of 0.79 passengers per trip. Blacks are least likely to travel with passengers (42 percent with an average of 0.67 passengers), whites (52 percent with 0.77 passengers), and others (56 percent with 1.1 passengers).
Miles Driven After Drinking
Drinking-driving trips average 16.1 miles from origin to destination. Black drinker-drivers report the farthest driving distances at 21 miles on average, whites report 16.6 miles, and others report 8.4 miles.
Number of Drinks per Sitting
On average, those who drink alcohol report that they consume about 2.8 alcoholic beverages in a typical sitting. Males consume an average of one more drink than women. Hispanic and Native American/Eskimo males typically consume almost three more drinks per sitting than females while Asian women and males consume a similar number of drinks.
Defining Problem Drinkers
A person was defined as a problem drinker if they admitted to consuming five or more drinks on four or more days in a typical 28-day period, or consumed eight or more drinks on at least one day in a typical month, or said yes to two of four CAGE questions: (Have you felt you should cut down on your drinking? Have people annoyed you by criticizing you about your drinking? Have you felt bad or guilty about your drinking? Have you had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?)
Overall, about 14 percent of the drinking public age 16 to 64 can be classified as a problem drinker (20 percent in the last year). Hispanic drinkers (23
percent) are more likely than others to be classified as problem drinkers. About three of four (73 percent) problem drinkers are male. The largest proportion of white problem drinkers (41 percent) are age 30 to 45, while Black problem drinkers are more likely to be in their 20's. Those of other races or ethnicities are equally likely to be age 21 to 29 or 30 to 45.
Knowledge of Legal Limits
About 90 percent of whites and 70 percent of all other groups say they have heard of legal limits. Less than half of those who said they knew their state's limit were able to specify that limit correctly.
Stopped by Police for DUI
About 3 percent of whites, 2 percent of Blacks, 2 percent of Asian and 7 percent of American Indian/Eskimos age 16-64 report being stopped by the police for suspicion of drinking and driving.
HOW TO ORDER
For a copy of Racial and Ethnic Comparisons: Data from National Surveys of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behaviors,93,95,97 (Vol I Findings, Vol II Methodology), write to the Office of Research and Traffic Records, NHTSA, NTS-31, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590, or fax (202) 366-7096. Paul J. Tremont, Ph.D., was the contract manager.
U.S. Department
of Transportation
National Highway
Traffic Safety
Administration
400 Seventh Street, S.W. NTS-31
Washington, DC 20590
Traffic Tech is a publication to disseminate
information about traffic safety programs,
including evaluations, innovative programs,
and new publications. Feel free to copy it as you wish.
If you would like to receive a copy contact:
Linda Cosgrove, Ph.D., Editor, Evaluation Staff
Traffic Safety Programs
(202) 366-2759, fax (202) 366-7096
mailto:lcosgrove@nhtsa.dot.gov