US study shows economic benefits of cutting drink driving deaths

A new analysis published in the medical journal Injury Prevention shows the very significant benefits of preventing drink driving collisions on a national economy.

Using an economic model developed by Rutgers University, the authors found that reductions in alcohol-involved crashes since the middle of the 1980s increased economic output in 2010 by an estimated $20 billion, raised GDP by $10 billion, increased US income by $6.5 billion, and created 215 000 jobs. The study also says that every mile driven by an alcohol-impaired driver in the US in 2010 reduced US economic output by $0.80.

The authors conclude that alcohol-involved crashes are a drag on the American economy, but the losses are preventable.