Drunken driving goes up during holidays

[December 18, 2008]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Drunken driving accidents increase each year during the holiday season, and a large percentage are caused by drivers just over the legal drinking age, government officials said Wednesday.

"It's a fact of life for those of us that work in traffic safety that alcohol-related fatalities during the holiday season are going to increase," said David Kelly, NHTSA's acting administrator, announcing plans to crack down on drunken driving during this period.

Those recently over the legal drinking age are particularly at risk. Drivers aged 21 to 24 are involved in more fatal drunken-driving crashes than any other age group, NHTSA data indicates.

"The newest legal drinkers are involving themselves in crashes at a higher rate than all the others," Kelly said.

On average, 38 percent of drivers between 21 and 24 involved in fatal crashes during the holiday season were impaired by alcohol, according to NHTSA data for 2002 through 2006. This age group accounted for 18 percent of all drunken drivers involved in deadly accidents throughout 2007.

Kelly added that more of these young drunken drivers are men than women, by a ratio of nearly 2-to-1.

To warn motorists about the dangers of drunken driving, the government is spending about $7 million for an advertising campaign to publicize increased drunken driving enforcement during the next few weeks. This year the campaign will target those in the high-risk 21-to-24 age group, Kelly said.

[Associated Press; By NATASHA T. METZLER]

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