Drunk Driving Down Due to... the Economy?

More people may be drinking at home: CDC
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 5, 2011 11:18 AM CDT
Drunk Driving Down Due to... the Economy?
Is the poor economy leading more people to drink at home?   (Shutterstock)

The good news: According to self-reported data, Americans are driving drunk less often. The bad news: It may not be because we're more responsible, but because ... we're broke. The CDC data shows that self-reported drunk driving among adults was down 30% from 161 million instances in 2006 to about 112 million in 2010. Though the reasons are "not well understood," the CDC says the poor economy could be a factor, as more people drink at home.

The exact quote: "Possible factors include less discretionary driving as a result of the current economic downturn … and possible changes in drinking location to places where driving is not required such as at home." The poll found that 1.8% of respondents admitted to at least one drunk driving incident in the past 30 days; it also found that men accounted for a full 81% of last year's driving under the influence episodes, Politico reports. (More driving under the influence stories.)

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