It’s a troubling trend: The number of traffic deaths in the D.C. area from drug- and alcohol-related crashes is going up.
A new report from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, released Jan. 25, said regional alcohol- and/or drug-impaired traffic fatalities increased by nearly 13% between 2021 and 2022 from 85 to 96 fatalities.
In its annual study — “How Safe Are Our Roads?” — COG said impaired driving has dire consequences for the entire community.
“This report shows a troubling trend in impaired driving in the region. These actions have dire consequences for our entire community. Ninety-six individuals lost their lives in 2022 due to crashes involving alcohol- and/or drug-impaired drivers,” said Kurt Erickson, the president of the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program that worked in conjunction with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments on the report.
“While three of the last five years have shown lower than average alcohol and drug-related traffic fatalities for the region, we still have much more work to do.”
The report said regional alcohol- and/or drug-related traffic injuries increased 9.5% between 2021 and 2022, moving from 1,489 to 1,631 injuries.
Crashes linked to drugs or alcohol also increased 13.7% between 2021 and 2022, from 3,694 to 3,853 crashes.
While traffic deaths, injuries and crashes are all up during the period, the report says law enforcement efforts have been diminishing the past several years.
Local arrests for either driving under the influence or driving while impaired decreased by 9.3% between 2021 and 2022, from 10,248 to 9,295 arrests.
Twenty-seven percent of the metropolitan Washington region’s 350 total traffic fatalities for 2022 involved alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers. Three of the last five years have had less alcohol- and/or drug-impaired traffic crashes than the regional average.
As of the date of publication, national alcohol-impaired fatality rates for 2022 were still unavailable. The report will be updated to show national traffic fatalities due to drivers who were alcohol- and/or drug-impaired when that data is available.
Meanwhile, preliminary data released in August from the Chicago area-based National Safety Council shows traffic deaths in the U.S. are on a slight decline through the first six months of 2023, as compared to the same period in 2022. From January 2023 through June 2023, an estimated 21,150 people died in preventable motor vehicle crashes in the United States, down 3% from the first six months of last year.
“While there is a glimmer of hope that progress is being made, these estimates are still a stark reminder of the work that lies ahead,” NSC Vice President of Roadway Practice at the National Safety Council Mark Chung said in a release.
“Every life lost on the road is a profound tragedy that leaves a lasting impact on families, friends and communities, and every single one of those deadly crashes was preventable. The estimates further underscore the urgent need for continued efforts to improve road safety across the nation through the implementation of the Safe System approach.”
The Safe System approach is part of a coalition of transportation safety leaders in their Road to Zero program, which is a national vision and strategy to reduce traffic-related serious injuries and fatalities to zero. To achieve this, the Road to Zero Coalition has identified the need for a positive safety culture to prioritize safety and recognize the value of the Safe System approach
Read the full Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments report online.
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