Despite a Small Decline, Nearly 12,000 People Died in Alcohol-related Crashes
Drunk driving killed 11,904 people in 2024, according to a new report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). While both alcohol-related and overall traffic deaths declined slightly in 2024, fatalities remain significantly elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. Between 2019 and 2024, drunk driving deaths increased 17%, underscoring a persistent and systemic nationwide crisis.
“11,904 people is about the size of a mid-tier college basketball arena on game night. Imagine them all gone, and you begin to understand the scale of this loss,” said MADD CEO Stacey D. Stewart. “Each of these individuals represents a life taken too soon by a crime that’s 100% preventable. While we continue working with communities, elected officials, law enforcement, and technology partners, the only sustainable path forward is to eliminate impaired driving entirely through the advancement of life-saving technology.”
NHTSA’s 2024 report also shows uneven progress across the country. While some states have reduced impaired driving fatalities compared to pre-pandemic levels, 37 states have experienced increases. Just between 2023 and 2024, 19 states saw increases in drunk driving deaths, with the highest increases in Vermont (41%), West Virginia (32%), and Oklahoma (27%).
MADD continues to advocate for the protection and full implementation of the bipartisan HALT Drunk Driving Law, which requires a federal standard for passive anti-drunk driving technology in all new vehicles and is projected to save more than 10,000 lives each year.
“The HALT Drunk Driving Law represents the most consequential step toward safer roads and communities,” Stewart continued. “It enables technology that preserves a normal driving experience—except when someone is impaired. We are working closely with elected, government and industry officials and urge NHTSA to issue a federal safety standard requiring this technology in all new vehicles. This is how we end drunk driving for good.”
About MADD
Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is a national nonprofit leading the movement to end impaired driving for good. Since 1980, MADD has helped reduce drunk driving deaths in America by more than 40%, saved nearly 500,000 lives, and served nearly one million victims and survivors. The organization is committed to leading prevention efforts with young adults, collaborating with law enforcement to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers, as well as advocating for stricter sentencing and stronger laws, including the HALT Drunk Driving Law that mandates anti-drunk driving technology in every new car. MADD continues to provide support services to victims and survivors of impaired driving at no charge through victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. For more information or to donate, visit https://madd.org/ and follow MADD on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
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