2007 National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers: Alcohol Results
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Summary
This report presents the alcohol-related findings from the 2007 National Roadside Survey (NRS) of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers, conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The study aims to estimate the prevalence of alcohol-involved driving in the 48 contiguous United States and compare these results with three previous NRS studies conducted in 1973, 1986, and 1996. The research was motivated by the need to track long-term trends in impaired driving and assess the effectiveness of countermeasures over the past three decades. The methodology involved randomly stopping drivers at 300 locations across the country. Data collection occurred during Friday daytime hours (9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.) at 60 sites and during four nighttime periods (10 p.m.–midnight and 1 a.m.–3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) at 240 sites. This design expanded upon previous surveys by including daytime drivers and motorcycles. Researchers collected breath-alcohol measurements from 9,413 respondents, oral fluid samples from 7,719, and blood samples from 3,276. Participation rates were high, with 82.5% of eligible nighttime drivers and 86.1% of daytime drivers providing interviews, though these rates were lower than in prior decades, potentially reflecting changing public attitudes toward survey participation. The results indicate a continuing downward trend in alcohol-involved driving. In 2007, 87.6% of nighttime drivers had a zero blood alcohol concentration (BAC), compared to 83.1% in 1996. Statistically significant reductions were observed in all positive BAC categories between 1996 and 2007, including drivers with BACs between .005–.049 g/dL, .050–.079 g/dL, and .080–.149 g/dL. Daytime driving showed significantly lower alcohol involvement, with 98.9% of drivers having a zero BAC and less than 1% having a BAC of .05 g/dL or higher. The report also analyzed demographic factors, trip characteristics, and safety behaviors, noting that drivers with higher BACs were less likely to use seat belts or designate a sober driver. Additionally, the study assessed alcohol use disorders (AUDs) using screening instruments, linking AUD diagnoses to higher BAC levels. The significance of these findings lies in the confirmation of a sustained reduction in alcohol-involved driving over the last 35 years. The data suggest that public health interventions and enforcement strategies have effectively reduced the prevalence of drinking and driving, particularly among nighttime drivers. The inclusion of daytime data and biological samples for drug analysis in this survey marks an evolution in monitoring impaired driving, providing a more comprehensive baseline for future research on both alcohol and drug-involved driving.
Key finding
The percentage of nighttime drivers with positive blood alcohol concentrations decreased significantly in 2007 compared to 1996, with reductions observed in the .005-.049, .050-.079, and .080-.149 g/dL ranges.
Methodology
on_road
Sample size: 9413
Provenance
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| enrich | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-23 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 19 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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- Empirical Findings: observational prevalence