The Nation : Drunk-Driving Deaths Up, Study Finds

Alcohol-related traffic deaths are increasing after years of steady decline, raising concern that the campaign against drinking and driving may be losing momentum, especially among young motorists, a researcher said. The statistics from 32 states showed a 7% increase last year in the number of deaths among drivers who were legally intoxicated and a similar increase in the number of single-vehicle nighttime fatalities, said Ralph Hingson, chief of social and behavioral sciences at Boston University’s School of Public Health. Both categories traditionally have been used as key indicators of alcohol-related traffic deaths. But officials of the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration challenged Hingson’s interpretation of the 1986 figures and maintained that the shift last year was not significant.