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Home » 2020 Topics & Objectives » Substance Abuse » SA-17 Data Details

SA-17 Data Details

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SA-17 Decrease the rate of alcohol-impaired driving (.08+ blood alcohol content [BAC]) fatalities

About the Data: National

Description of the data source, numerator, denominator, survey questions, and other relevant details about the national estimate.

Data Source: 
Fatality Analysis Reporting System
Changed Since the Healthy People 2020 Launch: 
Yes
Measure: 
per 100,000,000 vehicle miles traveled
Baseline (Year): 
0.39 (2008)
Target: 
0.38
Target-Setting Method: 
Maintain consistency with national programs, regulations, policies, and laws.
Numerator: 

Number of alcohol related motor vehicle crash deaths reported in FARS

Denominator: 

Total vehicle miles traveled

Comparable Healthy People 2010 Objective: 
Adapted from HP2010 objective
Data Collection Frequency: 
Annual
Methodology Notes: 

    The Federal Highway Administration estimates total vehicle miles traveled using an algorithm that includes gas sales, vehicle registration, vehicle fuel economy data, and other data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines a fatal crash as alcohol related if either a driver or a nonmotorist has a measurable or estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 g/dL or above. BAC is measured as a percentage by weight of alcohol in the blood (expressed as grams per deciliter). An elevated BAC level (0.08g/dL and higher) indicates that enough alcohol was consumed by the person tested to impair normal functions. Only deaths that occur within 30 days of the motor vehicle crash are included (less than 2 percent of the total number of deaths occur after 30 days). FARS data are obtained solely from a State's existing documents, including police crash reports, death certificates (coded to ICD-10 V30-V39 [.4-.9], V40-V49 [.4-.9], V50-V59 [.4-.9], V60-V69 [.4-.9], V70-V79 [.4-.9], V81.1, V82.1, V83-V86 [.0-.3], V20-V28 [.3-.9]. V29 [.4-.9], V12-V14 [.3-.9], V19 [.4-.6], V02-V04 [.1, .9], V09.2, V80 [.3-.5], V87 [.0-.8], V89.2), vehicle registration files, and hospital medical reports.

    A description of the FARS data set has been published by NHTSA.

    A description of the primary measurement used to determine the number of Vehicle Miles Traveled annually in the US has been published by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

About the Data: State

Description of the data source, numerator, denominator, survey questions, and other relevant details about the state-level data.

Data Source: 
Fatality Analysis Reporting System
Measure: 
per 100,000,000 vehicle miles traveled
Numerator: 

Number of alcohol related motor vehicle crash deaths reported in FARS

Denominator: 

Total vehicle miles traveled

Data Collection Frequency: 
Annual
Methodology Notes: 

      The Federal Highway Administration estimates total vehicle miles traveled using an algorithm that includes gas sales, vehicle registration, vehicle fuel economy data, and other data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines a fatal crash as alcohol related if either a driver or a nonmotorist has a measurable or estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 g/dL or above. BAC is measured as a percentage by weight of alcohol in the blood (expressed as grams per deciliter). An elevated BAC level (0.08g/dL and higher) indicates that enough alcohol was consumed by the person tested to impair normal functions. Only deaths that occur within 30 days of the motor vehicle crash are included (less than 2 percent of the total number of deaths occur after 30 days). FARS data are obtained solely from a State's existing documents, including police crash reports, death certificates (coded to ICD-10 V30-V39 [.4-.9], V40-V49 [.4-.9], V50-V59 [.4-.9], V60-V69 [.4-.9], V70-V79 [.4-.9], V81.1, V82.1, V83-V86 [.0-.3], V20-V28 [.3-.9]. V29 [.4-.9], V12-V14 [.3-.9], V19 [.4-.6], V02-V04 [.1, .9], V09.2, V80 [.3-.5], V87 [.0-.8], V89.2), vehicle registration files, and hospital medical reports.

      A description of the FARS data set has been published by NHTSA.

      A description of the primary measurement used to determine the number of Vehicle Miles Traveled annually in the US has been published by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Revision History

Any change to the objective text, baseline, target, target-setting method or data source since the Healthy People 2020 launch.

Description of Changes Since the Healthy People 2020 Launch: 
In 2014, the baseline was revised from .40 to .38. When the baselines were established the we asked for data rounded to one decimal place. At some later point the guidance changed and we now display rates less that 1.0 with two digits after the decimal place. So the baseline and updates were revised slightly.

References

Additional resources about the objective

  1. Federal Highway Administration. Annual Vehicle Miles Travelled and Related Data: Procedures Used to Derive Data Elements Contained in Highway Statistics Table VM1 for Years 2009 and after and 2007 and 2008 Historical Data. Washington, DC. Available from: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/vm1_methodology_2007.pdf
  2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts 2008: A Compilation of Motor Vehicle Crash Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, March 2010.
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