Four states will receive $120,000 in combined funding to combat drunk and drug-impaired driving through programs announced by three highway safety organizations.
The Governors Highway Safety Association, Responsibility.org and the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving selected the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wyoming for grants targeting detection and prevention of impaired driving.
The funding continues an 11-year partnership that has distributed more than $1.2 million to State Highway Safety Offices nationwide.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows drunk driving rates increase during summer months, with July and August recording the highest fatality numbers. Drunk driving deaths reached 12,429 in 2023, though that represented a decline from recent years after a 23% increase from 2019 to 2022.
Beyond alcohol, drug-impaired driving presents growing challenges for law enforcement. A trauma center study from 2019-2021 found 56% of crash victims tested positive for alcohol and/or other drugs, with cannabis detected in 25% of cases compared to 23% for alcohol.
Public perception gaps complicate enforcement efforts. While 95% of AAA Traffic Safety Foundation survey respondents called drunk driving very or extremely dangerous, only 70% viewed cannabis-impaired driving within an hour of consumption as equally risky.