Almost half of all drivers who were killed in crashes and tested positive for drugs also had alcohol in their system.

Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2011). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2011. Volume I: Secondary school students (NIH Publication No. 10-7584). Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 734 pp

About one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of driving while intoxicated or driving under the influence of alcohol are repeat offenders.

(Fell, Jim. “Repeat DWI Offenders in the United States.” Washington, DC: National Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Traffic Tech No. 85, February 1995.)

Over 1.41 million drivers were arrested in 2010 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.

(Federal Bureau of Investigation, “Crime in the United States: 2010”)

Among persons aged 12 or older, males were more likely than females (15.1 vs. 7.9 percent) to drive under the influence of alcohol in the past year.

(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings.” September 2011.)

Driving under the influence of alcohol was associated with age in 2010. The rate was highest among persons aged 21 to 25 (23.4 percent). An estimated 5.8 percent of 16 or 17 year olds and 15.1 percent of 18 to 20 year olds reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year. Beyond age 25, these rates showed a general decline with increasing age.

(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. “Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings.” September 2011.)

In fatal crashes in 2010, the highest percentage of drunk drivers was for drivers ages 21 to 24 (34 percent), followed by ages 25 to 34 (30 percent) and 35 to 44 (25 percent).

(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Traffic Safety Facts 2010: Alcohol Impaired Driving” Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011.)

The average person metabolizes alcohol at the rate of about one drink per hour. Only time will sober a person up. Drinking strong coffee, exercising or taking a cold shower will not help.

(Michigan State University. “Basic Alcohol Information.” East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, 2003.)

The speed of alcohol absorption affects the rate at which one becomes drunk. Unlike foods, alcohol does not have to be slowly digested. As a person drinks faster than the alcohol can be eliminated, the drug accumulates in the body, resulting in higher and higher levels of alcohol in the blood.

(Narcotic Educational Foundation of America. “Alcohol: A Potent Drug.” Santa Clarita, CA: Narcotic Educational Foundation of America, 2002.)

A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 72-proof distilled spirits, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol - about .54 ounces.

(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention in the Medical Setting." DOT HS 809 467. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, July 2002.)

Impairment is not determined by the type of drink, but rather by the amount of alcohol ingested over a specific period of time.

(Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “Q&A: Alcohol: General.” Arlington, VA: National Highway Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, March 2012.)

In 2010, 211 children were killed in drunk driving crashes. Out of those 211 deaths, 131 (62 percent) were riding with the drunk driver.

(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Traffic Safety Facts 2010: Alcohol Impaired Driving” Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011.)

In 2010, 16 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes during the week were drunk driving crashes, compared to 31 percent on weekends.

(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Traffic Safety Facts 2010: Alcohol Impaired Driving” Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011.)

Alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2010 was four times higher at night than during the day (37 versus 9 percent).

(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Traffic Safety Facts 2010: Alcohol Impaired Driving” Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011.)

Adults drank too much and got behind the wheel about 112 million times in 2010 - that is almost 300,000 incidents of drinking and driving each day.

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 2011)

In the United States, the number of drunk driving deaths has been cut in half since MADD was founded in 1980.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2011.

In 2011, MADD served more than 63,000 victims and survivors of drunk and drugged driving crashes.

Internal MADD tracking data, 2002-2010.

Every day in America, another 27 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2012.

Drunk driving costs the United States $132 billion a year.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2010

If all 17 million people who admitted to driving drunk in 2010 had their own state, it would be the fifth largest in the U.S.

(Lacey, John et al. “2007 National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers: Alcohol Results.” Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, December 2009.)

High school students who use alcohol or other substances are five times more likely to drop out of school or believe good grades are not important.

(NIDA, 2008) Full cite: National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Volume 1: Secondary School Students", National Survey Results on Drug Use from The Monitoring the Future Study, 1975-1997. Rockville, MD: Department of Health and Human Services, 1998.

Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash.

(Hingson, 2001) Full cite: Hingson, Ralph, et al. "Age of Drinking Onset, Driving After Drinking, and Involvement in Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes." DOT HS 809 188. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, January 2001.

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and about one-third of those are alcohol related.

(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Traffic Safety Facts 2008: Young Drivers". DOT 811 169. Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2009)

Teen alcohol use kills about 6000 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined.

(Hingson and Kenkel, 2003) Full cite: Hingson, Ralph and D. Kenkel. "Social and Health Consequences of Underage Drinking." In press. As quoted in Institute of Medicine National Research Council of the National Academies. Bonnie, Richard J. and Mary Ellen O'Connell, eds. Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2003.

One in five teens binge drink. Only 1 in 100 parents believes his or her teen binge drinks.

(Institute of Medicine, 2003) Full cite: Institute of Medicine National Research Council of the National Academies. Bonnie, Richard J. and Mary Ellen O'Connell, eds. "Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility". Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2003.

50 to 75 percent of convicted drunk drivers continue to drive on a suspended license.

(Peck, R.C., Wilson, R. J., and Sutton, L. 1995. “Driver license strategies for controlling the persistent DUI offender, Strategies for Dealing with the intent Drinking Driver.” Transportation Research Board, Transportation Research Circular No. 437. Washington, D.C. National Research Council: 48-49 and Beck, KH, et al. “Effects of Ignition Interlock License Restrictions on Drivers with Multiple Alcohol Offenses: A Randomized Trial in Maryland.” American Journal of Public Health, 89 vol. 11 (1999): 1696-1700.)

On average, one in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “The Traffic Stop and You: Improving Communications between Citizens and Law Enforcement.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, March 2001, DOT HS 809 212.

MADD has helped save over 27,000 young lives with the passage of the 21 minimum drinking age law.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  “Traffic Safety Facts 2008: Young Drivers”. DOT 811 169.  Washington DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2009.

Almost one in three 8th graders has tried alcohol.

Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M., Bachman, J. G., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2011). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2011. Volume I: Secondary school students (NIH Publication No. 10-7584). Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 734 pp.

Drunk driving costs each adult in this country almost $500 per year.

(Taylor, et al 2002) Full cite: Taylor, Dexter; Miller, Ted; and Cox, Kenya. "Impaired Driving in the United States Cost Fact Sheets." Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2002.

One in three people will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetime.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “The Traffic Stop and You: Improving Communications between Citizens and Law Enforcement.” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, March 2001, DOT HS 809 212.

In 2011, 9,878 people died in drunk driving crashes - one every 53 minutes

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration FARS data, 2012.

MADD serves a victim or survivor of drunk and drugged driving every eight minutes.

Internal MADD tracking data, 2002-2010.

Since 1980 MADD has saved 300,000 lives ...and counting.

(Fell, 1995 and NHTSA FARS data) Full cite: Fell J.C. (1995), "What's New in Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety in the U.S.?" National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Proceedings of 13th Conference, International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety, ICADTS, NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit, University of Adelaide, Australia, C.N. Kloeden and A. J. McLean (Editors), T95, pp 329-335

Almost every 90 seconds, a person is injured in a drunk driving crash.

Blincoe, Lawrence, et al. “The Economic Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes 2000.” Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2002. NHTSA FARS data, 2011.

An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before first arrest.

(Centers for Disease Control. “Vital Signs: Alcohol-Impaired Driving Among Adults — United States, 2010.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. October 4, 2011.)