And there is more good news: there has been an increase in the number of drivers who said that they relied on safe rides as an alternative strategy to avoid getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.
Those are a few highlights from a new survey released on Friday, developed and conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation USA (TIRF USA), in partnership with Traffic Injury Research Foundation in Canada.
"The number of drivers indicating they had been a designated driver, used a designated driver, used a taxi or public transportation or ride sharing rose from 177 million drivers in 2017 to 187 million in 2019," Carl Wicklund, senior adviser for TIRF USA, said in a statement. "Understanding who is at risk for alcohol-impaired driving, and the conditions leading to this behavior, is important to ensure people have access to safe rides."
However, the survey results also showed that the percentage of respondents who reported driving when they thought they were over the legal limit in the last 12 months significantly increased from 11.6% in 2018 to 20% in 2019, the highest prevalence reported during the past five years of data collection, according to the nonprofit road safety groups. In addition, the percentage of respondents who reported driving impaired often or very often was also the highest reported during the past five years, with a significant increase from 3.4% in 2018 to 11.1% in 2019.
"While more data are needed to monitor trends, the significant increase in self-reported alcohol-impaired driving is a concern," Ward Vanlaar, the chief operating officer of TIRF Canada, said in a statement. "It is an early warning that the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2019 may increase without continued and increased efforts."
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