dwerner151@verizon.net
The involvement of alcohol and/or drugs continues to be a serious issue in fatal crashes, with more than two out of five fatalities (44%) being alcohol or drug-related. Continuing efforts are needed to improve the effectiveness of public awareness initiatives that are designed to educate the motoring public on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. In June 2020, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that of the 36,560 traffic fatalities in 2018, an estimated 10,511 people (29%) were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. Because of concerns these findings have raised, the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee provided funding for the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research to update its earlier study on the involvement of alcohol and/or drugs in fatal and personal injury (F&PI) crashes on New York roadways.