One in Five Americans Has Driven After Drinking in Past Year

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The holiday party season in full swing and New Year’s Eve is approaching
RISMEDIA, Dec. 21 ? With the holiday party season in full swing and New Year’s Eve approaching, a new poll by the legal Web site FindLaw.com finds that 20 percent of Americans say they have driven after drinking within the past year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 410 people will die in traffic accidents during the upcoming New Year’s holiday period. In addition, fatal accidents during the New Year’s holiday period are 40 percent more likely than non-holiday days to involve at least one alcohol-impaired driver.

One in five American adults admits to driving after drinking within the past year, according to the FindLaw.com survey. Most of those who said they had driven after drinking consumed one or two drinks prior to driving. Only three percent of those surveyed said they had driven within the past year after consuming three or more drinks. The survey interviewed 1,000 adults nationwide, with results accurate to plus or minus three percent.

The FindLaw.com survey found that driving after drinking tends not to be a one-time event. Half of the people who said they had driven after drinking within the past year did so three or more times.

Men were much more likely than women to say they have driven after drinking within the past year. Twenty-six percent of men said they had driven after drinking in the last year, compared with only 16 percent of women.

Two-thirds of those surveyed (67 percent) said they have never driven after drinking. Seventy-one percent of women said they have never driven after drinking, compared with 61 percent of men.

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