The drunk driving figure, which represent a total of 13.2 percent of all American motorists, is even worse in some states. If you ever find yourself driving through a little corner of the world called Wisconsin, be on a lookout, as a worrying 23.7 percent of drivers drove drunk this year. North Dakota is not far behind, with 22.4 percent of the driving population committing the felony. Rhode Island and Vermont are high on the list of states that prefer drugs to alcohol with 7.8 and 6.6 percent of drivers impaired by illicit drugs, respectively.
Some more conservative (and a bit warmer) states, like Utah and Mississippi, are at the bottom end of the list, with just 7.4 and 8.7 percent of motorist ever being drunk at the wheel. New Jersey and Iowa, with 2.9 and 3.2 percent respectively, have the lowest rate of drivers operating an automobile while under the influence of drugs.
Bad as they might seam, the nationwide figure of 13.2 percent has declined from 14.6 percent of the previous year. The number of people driving while on drugs has also dropped from 4.8 percent across the US to just 4.3 percent this year.
"Thousands of people die each year as a result of drunk and drugged driving, and the lives of thousands of family members and friends left behind are forever scarred. Some progress has been made in reducing the levels of drunk and drugged driving through education, enhanced law enforcement and public outreach efforts. However, the nation must continue to work to prevent this menace and confront these dangerous drivers in an aggressive way," according to SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde.
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