In Idaho in 2009:

• There were more than 22,292 vehicle collisions in Idaho in 2009, resulting in 226 fatalities.
• Impaired driving resulted in 1,567 collisions in Idaho in 2009.
• 65 people were killed in impaired driving collisions.  Over 28% of all fatalities were from an impaired driving collision.
• The Idaho State Police, Bureau of Criminal Identification, recorded 12,327 DUI arrests in 2009.
• The estimated cost of Idaho impaired driving collisions in 2009 exceeded $538 million dollars.
• Drivers ages 17-39 were over-represented in impaired driving collisions. 
• Drivers ages 20-24 were involved in 2.6 times as many driving collisions as would be expected.

Nationally:

• There were 10,839 alcohol-related fatalities in 2009 – 32 percent of the total traffic fatalities for the year. 
• There is one alcohol-related fatality every 45 minutes in the United States.
• 11,773 (32%) people were killed in crashes where at least one driver or nonoccupant had a BAC of .08 or higher.
• 14% (181 fatalities) of children 14 and younger killed in motor vehicle crashes were killed in alcohol-related crashes. 
• Of those 181 fatalities, 92 were passengers in vehicles with drivers who had been drinking, with BAC levels of .01 or higher.
• The highest percentage of drivers in fatal crashes who had a BAC level of .08 or higher was for drivers ages 21-24.
• The most frequently recorded BAC level among drinking drivers involved in fatal crashes was .17.

Facts about .08 BAC levels:

• All 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have .08 BAC per se laws.
• At .08 all drivers are impaired to the point that critical driving skills are greatly diminished.  Laboratory and on-road research shows that the vast majority of drivers, even experienced drinkers, are significantly impaired at .08 with regard to critical driving tasks such as braking, steering, changing lanes, divided attention tasks and judgment.
• To reach .08, a 170-pound male would have to consume four or more drinks in a one-hour period on an empty stomach.  A 137-pound female would have to consume three drinks in one-hour period on an empty stomach to reach .08.  A drink is considered a 12-oz beer, a 5-oz glass of wine or a cocktail containing 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
• At .08, a driver is three times more likely to be involved in a car crash than a sober driver, and 11 times more likely to be killed in a single-vehicle crash.