CARRY'S NATION:

Drunken-driving death rates declined in 23 states in 2005 (Associated Press, December 23, 2006)

Drunken-driving deaths declined slightly across the nation in 2005, and the rate of drunken-driving deaths fell in 23 states last year, transportation officials said Friday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 23 states and Puerto Rico had a decrease in the fatality rate for crashes involving a driver with an illegal blood alcohol level of at least 0.08. The death rate involving those circumstances increased in 21 states and the District of Columbia and remained flat in six other states.

The government said 12,945 motorists died in a crash involving a legally drunk driver in 2005, compared with 13,099 in 2004. Alcohol-related fatalities also fell during that span: from 16,919 in 2004 to 16,885 in 2005.

The numbers will really drop once the steering column monitors are mandatory.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 23, 2006 9:21 AM