In an era when most headline news is bad, or tabloid trash, new statistics concerning drunk driving in Maryland is encouraging. Deaths from drunk driving fell in Maryland last year. In fact, the state is now among the 10 with the lowest rate of fatalities, according to the National Traffic Safety Administration www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
The raw numbers reveal deaths in 2007 were 178 and last year were 152. Marylands fatality rate declined 12.5 percent surpassing the nationwide decrease of 7 percent. Reasons for the decline Include: (1) increase education on this danger (education is focused heavily on males ages 20 to 34 since they are the highest risk group); (2) stepped up enforcement (60,000 motorists were stopped at check points last year); (3) alcohol treatment; and (4) more vigilant Judges (more Judges have imposed interlock devices for repeat offenders)
The figures were released to kick-off a nationwide crackdown on drunken driving over the holiday season. Alcohol impairment accounts for about one-third of highway deaths in the United States. In contrast in Maryland last year, just 26% of the 591 deaths were alcohol related.
