National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behavior: 2001. Volume 1, Summary Report

Royal, Dawn · 2003 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report presents the findings of the 2001 National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behavior, the sixth in a biennial series conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since 1991. The study aims to track trends in public attitudes, knowledge, and self-reported behaviors regarding drinking and driving to inform future safety initiatives. Data were collected via telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 6,002 persons aged 16 and older, weighted to match U.S. demographic characteristics. The survey reveals that while the total number of estimated drinking-driving trips has significantly decreased from 1.3 billion in 1993 to approximately 906 million in 2001, the prevalence of individuals engaging in this behavior has plateaued. In 2001, 23% of drivers reported driving within two hours of consuming alcohol in the past year, a figure unchanged since 1999. Males and individuals aged 21–29 were the most likely demographics to engage in drinking and driving. On average, drinker-drivers consumed 2.6 drinks prior to driving, resulting in an estimated average Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.03; however, minors aged 16–20 drove with significantly higher average BAC levels, approximately 0.08. Additionally, 11% of the driving-age public reported riding with a potentially impaired driver in the past year, a rate that has remained stable since 1995. Public attitudes indicate continued concern, with 77% viewing drinking and driving by others as a major threat to personal safety, though this perception declined slightly from 80% in 1999. Support for stricter regulations has grown; 70% of respondents supported a legal BAC limit of 0.08, up from 56% in 1997, and 48% supported zero-tolerance policies for any alcohol consumption before driving. Despite this, enforcement perceptions have weakened, with 40% of drivers believing it is unlikely they would be stopped by police for impaired driving, an increase from 33% in 1995. Knowledge of specific state BAC limits remained low, with only 27% of respondents correctly identifying their state’s limit. The report concludes that while progress has been made in reducing the total volume of drinking-driving trips and increasing support for lower BAC limits, improvements in key behavioral and attitudinal areas have slowed. The data suggest that despite high awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, a significant portion of the population continues to engage in risky behaviors or perceives the likelihood of enforcement as low. These findings highlight the need for continued attention to enforcement strategies and public education to further reduce alcohol-impaired driving.

Key finding

The estimated number of drinking-driving trips decreased to 906 million in 2001, while public support for a .08 BAC legal limit increased to 70% and 23% of the driving-age population reported driving within two hours of consuming alcohol.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 6002

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• dui enforcement
• alcohol
• drowsy as impairment

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence