Crash Facts

Alcohol-Related Crashes

2021 Crash Facts – Click for a complete copy of the Crash Facts

Alcohol Overview

▶ In Pennsylvania, drinking and driving remains a top safety issue. In 2021, alcohol-related crashes increased to 9,220 from 7,700 alcohol-related crashes in 2020. In 2021, alcohol-related fatalities increased to 311 from 293 in 2020.

▶ Of particular concern is the involvement of drinking drivers under the age of 21. 18% of the driver fatalities in the 16-20 age group were drinking drivers, up from 17% in 2020. Improvement in this age group is a very important need.

▶ Of equal focus is the 26 to 30 age group, in which 46% of the driver fatalities were drinking drivers. This age group had the worst percentage of all groups, and was up from 36% in 2020. The 51 to 55 age group increased to 39% from 28% in 2020.

▶ In 2021, alcohol-related deaths were 25% of the total traffic fatalities.

2021 Briefs

▶ 311 people died in alcohol-related crashes.

▶ 94% of the alcohol-related occupant fatalities (drivers and passengers) were in the vehicle driven by the drinking driver; 79% were the drinking drivers themselves.

▶ 73% of the drinking drivers in traffic crashes were male.

▶ 71% of the alcohol-related crashes were during the hours of darkness, usually on weekends.

▶ On average each day, 25 alcohol-related traffic crashes occurred.

▶ On average each day, 0.9 persons were fatally injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes.

▶ On average each day, 16 persons were injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes.

Alcohol Involvement in Crashes

Although alcohol-related crashes accounted for approximately 8% of the total crashes in 2021, they resulted in 25% of all persons fatally injured in crashes. Alcohol-related crashes were 4.0 times more likely to result in fatal injury than those not related to alcohol (3.2% of the alcohol-related crashes resulted in fatal injury, compared to 0.8% of crashes which were not alcohol-related). “PDO Crashes” in the table below refers to property damage only crashes.

Alcohol-Related Crashes—Five-Year Trends

Alcohol-related crashes increased in 2021, and were the second lowest total in the last five years. Alcohol-related fatalities increased in 2021, and were the second highest total in the last five years. 

Victims of Alcohol-Related Fatal Crashes

There were 255 driver and passenger fatalities in alcohol-related crashes in 2021, while 239 (94%) were the drinking drivers or their passengers.

Victims of Fatal Crashes by Time of Day

Alcohol-related crashes occurring between 8:00 PM and 4:00 AM produced the vast majority of deaths (62% of alcohol-related deaths). In contrast, under half of the fatalities (47%) from non-alcohol-related crashes resulted from crashes occurring between noon and 8:00 PM.

Victims of Fatal Crashes by Day of Week

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of alcohol-related fatal crash victims were the result of crashes occurring on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while fatal crash victims of non-alcohol-related crashes tended to be distributed more evenly throughout the work week with the fewest occurring on Sunday and Monday.

Alcohol-Related Crashes—Day vs. Night

71.0% of alcohol-related crashes occurred at night.

Alcohol-Related Holiday Crashes

In 2021, 11% of all holiday crashes involved alcohol use; however, 34% of that occurred during holiday weekends were related to alcohol use.

Driver Involvement in Alcohol-Related Crashes by Vehicle Type

Motorcyclists had the largest percentage of drinking drivers to total drivers; this is compared to the drivers of other types of vehicles. Drinking drivers of passenger cars, light trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles were equal to the average for drivers of all vehicle types. Bus and heavy truck drivers accounted for very few of the drinking drivers in crashes.

Total Drivers in Crashes – 190,904

Drinking Drivers in Crashes – 9,082 (4.8% of total)

Drinking Drivers in Crashes by Age and Sex

In 2021, roughly 3 out of 4 drinking drivers in crashes were male (across most age groups), with only slight variations among the age groups. The table below does not include an additional 63 drivers for whom age and/or sex were not known.

Drinking Drivers vs. Non-Drinking Drivers Involved in Crashes by Age Group

In 2021, as the table below shows, the two age groups from 26 to 35 had the highest percentage of drinking drivers within their respective age groups. After age 30, the percentage of drinking drivers within the succeeding age groups steadily declined. The Under 16 age group continues to be of particular concern, as it included 2 drinking drivers.

Drinking Driver Fatalities as a Percentage of Total Driver Deaths, by Age Group

The table below shows drinking driver fatalities as a percentage of total driver fatalities within each respective age group for 2021 crashes. The age group from 26 to 30 had the highest percentage, with 46% of the driver fatalities in this age group being a drinking driver. The 16-20 age group decreased from 16.7% in 2020. In 2021, unfortunatley, 33.3% of fatal drivers under the age of 16 chose to combine alcohol usage and driving without a license.

Underage Drinking Drivers in Pennsylvania Crashes—Historical Data

Act 31, commonly known as the “Underage Drinking Law,” went into effect on May 24, 1988. From that year, and until 1994, the number of underage drinking drivers involved in Pennsylvania crashes declined each year. From 1997 until 2002, the amount of underage drinking drivers remained consistently high. From that point until 2019 there has been a downward trend with 2020 and 2012 reversing the trend.