According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 33,808 people died in traffic crashes in 2009 in the United States (latest figures available), including an estimated 10,839 people who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Drunk driving fatalities accounted for 32% of all traffic deaths last year, that is, on average someone is killed in an alcohol-impaired driving crash about every 50 minutes in the U.S. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2010)

Since NHTSA began recording alcohol-related statistics in 1982, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have decreased 49% from 21,113 in 1982. Since the inception of The Century Council and our national efforts to fight drunk driving, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities have declined 32% from 15,827 in 1991. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2010)

The rate of alcohol-impaired fatalities per 100,000 population is the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities for every 100,000 persons in the population being measured. In 2009, about four people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities for every 100,000 Americans. Since 1999, the rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in the U.S. has decreased 23%. Between 1991 and 2009, the rate of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities per 100,000 population decreased 44% nationally. (Source: NHTSA/FARS, 2010)

Article Source: http://www.centurycouncil.org/learn-the-facts/drunk-driving-research