August 2005
A Brief Statistical Summary
DOT HS 809 904
Download PDF version
Alcohol-Related Fatalities in 2004
Early results from the 2004 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) show that the number of alcohol-related1 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes declined from 2003. This is the second consecutive year in which alcohol-related fatalities have declined, after reaching a recent high of 17,524 in 2002. With an expected increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), the alcohol-related fatality rate per 100 million VMT will be 0.57, the lowest recorded by the Department of Transportation. Also, fatalities in “high-alcohol” crashes, i.e., crashes where the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .08 grams per deciliter or above, also declined by 1.8 percent, to 14,409 fatalities.

Table 1 depicts fatalities in traffic crashes by the highest BAC in the crash. There were 411 fewer alcohol-related fatalities (BAC=.01+), a decline of 2.4 percent compared to 2003. In crashes where the highest BAC was .08+, there were 269 fewer fatalities, a decline of 1.8 percent. It was not confirmed whether or not these drivers were arrested for a DUI or DWI.

Table 1
Fatalities in Traffic Crashes by Highest BAC in the Crash

Description 2003 2004 Change % Change
BAC .01+ 17,105 16,694 -411 -2.4%
BAC .08+ 14,678 14,409 -269 -1.8%
Source: FARS 2003 [Final], 2004 [ARF].

Table 2 depicts the fatalities shown in Table 1 by the role of the person(s) who had alcohol and the highest BAC level in the crash. For example, Drivers Only (Drv Only) implies that driver(s) were the only people with alcohol, and Driver + Nonoccupant (Drv + NO) implies both a driver and a nonoccupant had alcohol.

Table 2
Alcohol-Related Fatalities by Role of Person with Alcohol

Role of Person w/ alcohol BAC = .01+ BAC = .08+
2003 2004 2003 2004
Drv Only 13,519 (79%) 13,178 (79%) 11,604 (79%) 11,406 (79%)
McO Only 1,309 (8%) 1,327 (8%) 1,075 (7%) 1,101 (8%)
Drv + McO 99 (1%) 80 (0%) 52 (0%) 42 (0%)
Drv/McO + NO 498 (3%) 460 (3%) 366 (3%) 324 (2%)
Subtotal 15,423 (90%) 15,045 (90%) 13,096 (89%) 12,874 (89%)
NO Only 1,644 (10%) 1,614 (10%) 1,548 (11%) 1,502 (10%)
Others 38 (0%) 35 (0%) 35 (0%) 33 (0%)
Total 17,105 (100%) 16,694 (100%) 14,678 (100%) 14,409 (100%)
Drv = Driver NO = Nonoccupant McO = Motorcycle Operator
Source: FARS 2003 [Final], 2004 [ARF]. Counts may not add up to totals due to independent rounding.
Percents are based on unrounded estimates.

As seen in Table 2, a majority (79 percent) of the alcohol-related fatalities occurred in crashes in which drivers were the only persons with alcohol, possibly arrested for a DWI or DUI. Additionally, about 8 percent of the alcohol-related fatalities occurred in crashes where the motorcycle operators were the only persons with alcohol. About 10 percent of alcohol-related fatalities occurred in crashes where nonoccupants were the only persons with alcohol.

Table 3 depicts the role of the people killed in alcohol-related crashes. About half of the fatalities occurred to drivers who had alcohol, and an additional 17 percent to passengers who were riding with them. About 12 percent of the fatalities occurred to nonoccupants and about 8 percent to motorcycle operators with alcohol. Thus, slightly more than 85 percent of the alcohol-related fatalities occurred to drivers/motorcycle operators or nonoccupants with alcohol, or to people riding with these drivers/motorcycle operators.

Table 3
Alcohol-Related Fatalities, by Role

Role 2003 2004
Num % of Total Num % of Total
Driver w/ alcohol 8,402 49% 8,199 49%
Passengers 2,916 17% 2,763 17%
Motorcycle Operators w/ alcohol 1,271 7% 1,264 8%
Riders 111 1% 118 1%
Nonoccupant w/ alcohol 1,969 12% 1,969 12%
Subtotal 14,669 86% 14,313 87%
Driver w/ no alcohol 1,044 6% 986 6%
Passengers 591 3% 646 4%
Motorcycle Operators w/ no alcohol 147 1% 156 1%
Riders 17 0% 21 0%
Nonoccupant w/ no alcohol 574 3% 515 3%
Other/Unknown 65 0% 57 0%
Total 17,105 100% 16,694 100%
Source: FARS 2003 [Final], 2004 [ARF]. Counts may not add up to totals due to independent rounding.

Table 4 shows, by State, the breakdown of total fatalities as well as fatalities in alcohol-related and high-alcohol crashes and the change in the fatalities and percent change from 2003 to 2004. A total of 32 States and the District of Columbia showed a decline in alcohol-related fatalities in 2004 from 2003 while 31 States and the District of Columbia showed a decline in fatalities that occur in high-alcohol crashes.

Table 4
Total Fatalities in Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes, Alcohol-Related Fatalities, Fatalities in High-Alcohol (BAC=.08+) Crashes, Change and Percent Change, 2003-2004

State 2003 2004 2003 to 2004 Change
Total Alcohol-
Related BAC=.08+ Total Alcohol-
Related BAC=.08+ Total Alcohol-Related BAC=.08+
Num % Num % Num % Num %
Alabama 1,004 414 41% 361 36% 1,154 442 38% 394 34% 150 (14.9%) 28 (6.8%) 33 (9.1%)
Alaska 98 37 38% 33 33% 101 31 31% 30 30% 3 (3.1%) -6 (-16.2%) -3 (-9.1%)
Arizona 1,118 471 42% 411 37% 1,150 435 38% 376 33% 32 (2.9%) -36 (-7.6%) -35 (-8.5%)
Arkansas 640 252 39% 201 31% 704 276 39% 236 33% 64 (10.0%) 24 (9.5%) 35 (17.4%)
California 4,224 1,629 39% 1,377 33% 4,120 1,643 40% 1,367 33% -104 (-2.5%) 14 (0.9%) -10 (-0.7%)
Colorado 642 252 39% 228 35% 665 259 39% 225 34% 23 (3.6%) 7 (2.8%) -3 (-1.3%)
Connecticut 298 137 46% 119 40% 291 127 44% 112 38% -7 (-2.3%) -10 (-7.3%) -7 (-5.9%)
Delaware 142 61 43% 51 36% 134 51 38% 48 36% -8 (-5.6%) -10 (-16.4%) -3 (-5.9%)
Dist of Columbia 67 35 52% 31 47% 43 18 41% 12 28% -24 (-36%) -17 (-49%) -19 (-61%)
Florida 3,169 1,287 41% 1,101 35% 3,244 1,222 38% 1,053 32% 75 (2.4%) -65 (-5.1%) -48 (-4.4%)
Georgia 1,603 483 30% 416 26% 1,634 525 32% 450 28% 31 (1.9%) 42 (8.7%) 34 (8.2%)
Hawaii 133 71 53% 52 39% 142 65 46% 52 37% 9 (6.8%) -6 (-8.5%) 0 (-)
Idaho 293 106 36% 89 31% 260 93 36% 81 31% -33 (-11.3%) -13 (-12.3%) -8 (-9.0%)
Illinois 1,454 637 44% 540 37% 1,356 604 45% 517 38% -98 (-6.7%) -33 (-5.2%) -23 (-4.3%)
Indiana 833 261 31% 223 27% 947 299 32% 254 27% 114 (13.7%) 38 (14.6%) 31 (13.9%)
Iowa 443 145 33% 119 27% 390 110 28% 91 23% -53 (-12.0%) -35 (-24.1%) -28 (-23.5%)
Kansas 469 199 42% 172 37% 461 148 32% 121 26% -8 (-1.7%) -51 (-25.6%) -51 (-29.7%)
Kentucky 928 277 30% 242 26% 964 308 32% 269 28% 36 (3.9%) 31 (11.2%) 27 (11.2%)
Louisiana 940 410 44% 370 39% 904 414 46% 345 38% -36 (-3.8%) 4 (1.0%) -25 (-6.8%)
Maine 207 75 36% 69 33% 194 70 36% 58 30% -13 (-6.3%) -5 (-6.7%) -11 (-15.9%)
Maryland 650 287 44% 215 33% 643 286 45% 231 36% -7 (-1.1%) -1 (-0.3%) 16 (7.4%)
Massachusetts 462 215 47% 172 37% 476 203 43% 181 38% 14 (3.0%) -12 (-5.6%) 9 (5.2%)
Michigan 1,283 485 38% 396 31% 1,159 430 37% 367 32% -124 (-9.7%) -55 (-11.3%) -29 (-7.3%)
Minnesota 655 266 41% 223 34% 567 184 32% 170 30% -88 (-13.4%) -82 (-30.8%) -53 (-23.8%)
Mississippi 872 321 37% 291 33% 900 341 38% 317 35% 28 (3.2%) 20 (6.2%) 26 (8.9%)
Missouri 1,232 493 40% 414 34% 1,130 449 40% 388 34% -102 (-8.3%) -44 (-8.9%) -26 (-6.3%)
Montana 262 127 49% 108