1.1 million people were arrested for driving under the influence in the United States. Alcohol positive drivers accounted for 4,455 crash deaths. Ignition interlock programs reduced the likelihood of a subsequent offense by 6.5 percentage points in a large state evaluation.
Key Takeaways
- 1.41% of all U.S. disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were attributable to alcohol use disorders in 2019
- In 2019, 4,455 people died in crashes involving a driver who had tested positive for alcohol
- In a systematic review, ignition interlock reduced DUI recidivism with an average effect size corresponding to about 40%
- Interlock programs reduced the likelihood of a subsequent DUI by 6.5 percentage points compared with controls in a large evaluation (Minnesota)
- 0.08 g/dL was the BAC threshold for per se alcohol-impaired driving in many U.S. states (0.08 BAC per se laws)
- 26% of people in the U.S. (age 16+) reported driving after drinking alcohol at least once in the past year (2018 survey)
- 35.6% of high school students reported that they had ridden at least once with a driver who had been drinking alcohol
- The Global Ignition Interlock Systems market was valued at $1.6 billion in 2023 (industry market research)
- The Global Alcohol Breathalyzer market was valued at $2.8 billion in 2023 (industry market research)
- In 2022, the breath alcohol testing devices and services market in North America accounted for 38% of global share (industry market research)
- NHTSA’s Alcohol Countermeasures Program is a discretionary grant program that supports states with funding amounts up to $10 million per year (program info)
- In a 2020 meta-analysis, randomized and quasi-experimental ignition interlock studies showed reduced recidivism versus controls
- In a comparative cost-effectiveness analysis, ignition interlocks were cost-effective at willingness-to-pay thresholds in multiple settings (peer-reviewed)
- 11.5% of people age 18+ in the U.S. reported driving after drinking in the past year in 2021
- 2.2% of students in grades 9–12 reported riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol at least once in the past 30 days (2019 YRBS)
In 2022, 1.1 million DUI arrests show the stakes, while ignition interlocks and laws reduce recidivism and fatalities.
Related reading
01 · Category
Burden And Mortality1 stats
01
1.41% of all U.S. disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were attributable to alcohol use disorders in 2019
Interpretation
Burden And Mortality Interpretation
In 2019, alcohol use disorders accounted for 1.41% of total US DALYs, underscoring that driving under the influence contributes a measurable burden to population health through disability and premature death.
02 · Category
Trends In Detection6 stats
01
In 2019, 4,455 people died in crashes involving a driver who had tested positive for alcohol
02
In a systematic review, ignition interlock reduced DUI recidivism with an average effect size corresponding to about 40%
03
Interlock programs reduced the likelihood of a subsequent DUI by 6.5 percentage points compared with controls in a large evaluation (Minnesota)
04
Devices used in ignition interlock programs are required to prevent starting when BAC is above a preset level; programs typically use 0.02 BAC or lower start thresholds
05
Transdermal alcohol testing can detect alcohol presence over time; typical detection time is up to 24 hours (device evaluation literature)
06
In a 2021 study, 81% of ignition interlock samples were acceptable under quality-control procedures (device compliance study)
Interpretation
Trends In Detection Interpretation
Under the Trends In Detection angle, detection and enforcement appear to be improving as ignition interlock programs curb repeat DUI behavior with effects around a 40% average reduction and a 6.5 percentage point drop, while interlock compliance remains high with 81% of samples passing quality control in 2021.
03 · Category
Legal And Enforcement7 stats
01
0.08 g/dL was the BAC threshold for per se alcohol-impaired driving in many U.S. states (0.08 BAC per se laws)
02
26% of people in the U.S. (age 16+) reported driving after drinking alcohol at least once in the past year (2018 survey)
03
35.6% of high school students reported that they had ridden at least once with a driver who had been drinking alcohol
04
0.04% was the statutory BAC limit for impaired driving for commercial drivers in many U.S. states (0.04 BAC)
05
In 2022, 1.1 million people were arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in the United States
06
46 states had primary enforcement laws for seat belts in 2018 (used as a control metric in DUI safety programs)
07
The 0.08% per se BAC limit reduced alcohol-related fatalities after enactment (meta-evidence cited in NHTSA literature review)
Interpretation
Legal And Enforcement Interpretation
Legal and enforcement data show that DUI impacts remain widespread, with 1.1 million DUI arrests in 2022 and 26% of U.S. adults reporting they drove after drinking at least once in the past year, even as many states set strict per se thresholds like 0.08 BAC for general drivers and 0.04 BAC for commercial drivers.
04 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
The Global Ignition Interlock Systems market was valued at $1.6 billion in 2023 (industry market research)
02
The Global Alcohol Breathalyzer market was valued at $2.8 billion in 2023 (industry market research)
03
In 2022, the breath alcohol testing devices and services market in North America accounted for 38% of global share (industry market research)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
From a market size perspective, the combined scale of core DUI enforcement technologies is already in the billions with 2023 values of $1.6 billion for ignition interlock systems and $2.8 billion for alcohol breathalyzers, while North America held a 38% share of the breath alcohol testing devices and services market in 2022.
05 · Category
Industry Technology2 stats
01
NHTSA’s Alcohol Countermeasures Program is a discretionary grant program that supports states with funding amounts up to $10 million per year (program info)
02
In a 2020 meta-analysis, randomized and quasi-experimental ignition interlock studies showed reduced recidivism versus controls
Interpretation
Industry Technology Interpretation
Under the Industry Technology angle, federal support through NHTSA’s Alcohol Countermeasures Program can fund states with up to $10 million per year, and evidence from a 2020 meta-analysis found ignition interlock programs reduce repeat DUI behavior compared with controls.
More related reading
06 · Category
Cost Analysis1 stats
01
In a comparative cost-effectiveness analysis, ignition interlocks were cost-effective at willingness-to-pay thresholds in multiple settings (peer-reviewed)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In cost analysis, ignition interlocks have been found cost-effective at willingness-to-pay thresholds in multiple settings, indicating they can deliver measurable value compared with other DUI interventions across different scenarios.
07 · Category
Behavior And Prevalence3 stats
01
11.5% of people age 18+ in the U.S. reported driving after drinking in the past year in 2021
02
2.2% of students in grades 9–12 reported riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol at least once in the past 30 days (2019 YRBS)
03
29% of fatally injured drivers involved in nighttime crashes in the U.S. in 2019 were alcohol-impaired (BAC ≥ 0.01 or positive alcohol test where data available)
Interpretation
Behavior And Prevalence Interpretation
From a behavior and prevalence angle, reports show that alcohol-impaired driving is present across both adults and youth, with 11.5% of US adults age 18 and older driving after drinking in 2021 and 2.2% of 9th through 12th graders riding with a drinking driver in the past 30 days, while alcohol impairment also accounts for 29% of fatally injured nighttime drivers in 2019.
08 · Category
Market Dynamics2 stats
01
Global alcohol breathalyzer market is projected to exceed $4.6 billion by 2030 (forecast growth from 2023 level)
02
Global ignition interlock systems market is projected to reach $2.7 billion by 2030 (forecast growth from 2023 level)
Interpretation
Market Dynamics Interpretation
For the Market Dynamics behind Driving Under The Influence, rapid market expansion is clear as the global alcohol breathalyzer market is forecast to surpass $4.6 billion by 2030 and the ignition interlock systems market is expected to reach $2.7 billion by 2030.
09 · Category
Program Effectiveness2 stats
01
Systematic reviews report ignition interlocks reduce DUI recidivism compared with controls (meta-analytic evidence on recidivism reduction)
02
Behavioral and enforcement interventions are associated with reduced alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in U.S. crash data analyses following implementation of alcohol countermeasures (cross-study evidence)
Interpretation
Program Effectiveness Interpretation
For the Program Effectiveness category, systematic reviews show that ignition interlocks significantly reduce DUI recidivism versus controls, and U.S. crash data also indicates that behavioral and enforcement interventions are linked to fewer alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, highlighting broad real world impact.
report visual · Key figures
Key DUI/Alcohol Metrics (U.S.)
A snapshot of DUI-related impacts and behaviors, including fatal crash involvement, population self-reports, and interlock evidence.
4,455
In 2019, 4,455 people died in crashes involving a driver who had tested positive for alcohol
26%
26% of people in the U.S. (age 16+) reported driving after drinking alcohol at least once in the past year (2018 survey)
35.6%
35.6% of high school students reported that they had ridden at least once with a driver who had been drinking alcohol
29%
29% of fatally injured drivers involved in nighttime crashes in the U.S. in 2019 were alcohol-impaired (BAC ≥ 0.01 or po
40%
In a systematic review, ignition interlock reduced DUI recidivism with an average effect size corresponding to about 40%
6.5
Interlock programs reduced the likelihood of a subsequent DUI by 6.5 percentage points compared with controls in a large
source-verifiedcrashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov · bjs.gov · cdc.gov · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · rand.org2019
Reference
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). Driving Under The Influence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/driving-under-the-influence-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "Driving Under The Influence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/driving-under-the-influence-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "Driving Under The Influence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/driving-under-the-influence-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)