Georgia Alcohol Statistics

Alcohol

Total Alcohol Impaired Related Fatalities by County 2004-2008-MAPS

Total Alcohol Impaired Related Fatalities by County 2004-2008

In 2008, the state of Georgia had the lowest proportion of alcohol related fatalities in the southeast Region IV of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  During this time period Georgia had 416 alcohol impaired* related fatalities, which is 28% of all roadway fatalities (1,493).  Although, the neighboring state of Alabama had the lowest number of alcohol related fatalities, in 2008, the 315 alcohol death represent 33% of all Alabama roadway fatalities. 

Forty-four (28%) of all 159 Georgia counties experienced no alcohol related fatalities in 2008.   Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Cobb counties experience the highest number of alcohol fatalities with 30, 24, 19, and 18 alcohol impaired fatalities, respectively.  Yet these counties have lower percentage (colored light blue, 26%-40%) of alcohol related deaths, in comparison to counties Montgomery (2), Echols (1), Hancock (1), Talbot (1), and Wilkinson(1) that have over 67%-100% of the roadway fatalities related to alcohol. 

Driver Alcohol and/or Drug Crashes by Crash Type

Although surveillance of alcohol involvement in motor vehicle crashes is uncertain, estimates show that the number alcohol crashes that result in injuries and fatalities have remained steady from 2004 to 2008. 

Alcohol Impaired Driving Fatalities (BAC=.08+): Georgia 1994-2008

Alcohol Impaired Driving Fatalities Trends: Georgia 1994-2008

Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is a problem in Georgia.  Over the past fifteen years (from 1994 to 2008) 406.5 alcohol impaired fatalities occurred per year, representing on average 25.8% of all roadway fatalities a year.  The lowest percentage of alcohol related fatalities occurred in 2003 with 355 deaths representing 22% of all fatalities.  In 2008, Georgia peaked again with 28% of fatalities being alcohol related – the last peak within the fifteen years occurred in 2000 with 434 alcohol fatalities.

Activity of Alcohol Impaired Related Fatalities by County, 2008

The activity of alcohol impaired related fatalities is a great measure in comparing county incidences to the aggregate incidences on state levels.  In 2008, 28% of all roadway fatalities were related to alcohol.  In the map above, green represents the counties that have alcohol fatalities greater than Georgia’s Rate (=28%+), yellow are counties equal to GA rate, gray are counties lower than GA rate, and white are counties with either no alcohol fatalities and no roadway fatalities. 

Counties with High Activity of Alcohol Impaired Related Fatalities by County, 2008

The Location Quotient (LQ) is an index for comparing an area’s share of a particular activity with the area’s share of the aggregate phenomenon.  Therefore, the incidence of alcohol related fatalities in Montgomery counties is 3.56 (LQ = 3.56) times greater then the state of Georgia as a whole.

Driver Fatalities by BAC (g/dL), 2008

Alcohol Test Result among Fatal Drivers, 2008

In 2008, there were a total of 1,021 drivers killed in Georgia.  Of those driver fatalities, 331 had a recorded BAC equal to 0.00, 31 had BAC less than 0.08, and 207 of those that died has a BAC greater than 0.08.  However, 43% (439) of all drivers killed were not tested for alcohol consumption.

NHTSA Alcohol Impaired Driving Facts (2008)

  • In 2008, 16 percent of child (age 14 and younger) traffic fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes.
  • The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes was four times higher at night than in the day.
  • The highest percentage of drivers in fatal crashes who had BAC level so .08 or higher was for drivers ages 21 to 24.
  • The percentage of drivers with BAC of .08 or above in fatal crashes was highest for motorcycle riders.
  • Drivers with a BAC level of .08 or higher in fatal crashes were eight times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired than were drivers with no alcohol.

Source: NHTSA – DOT HA 811 155

NOTE:
Drivers are considered to be alcohol-impaired when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Thus, any fatality occurring in a crash involving a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher is considered to be an alcohol-impaired-driving fatality. The term “driver” refers to the operator of any motor vehicle, including a motorcycle.