Update: alcohol-related traffic fatalities--United States, 1982-1993.

Motor-vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for persons in all age groups from 1 through 34 years (1). During 1993, 40,115 traffic fatalities occurred; of these, 17,461 were alcohol-related (2). During 1990, the economic impact of alcohol-related crashes was $46.1 billion, including $5.1 billion in medical expenses (3). In 1992, approximately 1% of licensed drivers were arrested for driving while impaired (4). This report uses data from the Fatal Accident Reporting System of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to describe state-level changes in the number and percentage of alcohol-related traffic fatalities (ARTFs) and drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) > or = 0.01 g/dL who were involved in fatal crashes during 1982-1993.