Drunk Driving Cases Decreasing, Thanks Economy!

It’s not too often that you hear good news about a bad economy but now a survey has revealed that Americans are drunk driving less often because of a bad financial situation.

According to the survey because many drinkers are out of work or holding on by a thread they are buying less alcohol at bars which in turn has led to less drunk driving cases.

Data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that self-reported drunk driving among adults is down 30% from 161 million cases in 2006 to 112 million cases in 2010.

While the study is not conclusive CDC officials believes that the reason for less cases is the simple fact that even heavy drinkers are purchasing their booze at home rather than heading out to the bars as they had during a robust economy.

According to the CDC poll:

“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 CDC poll also found that 1.8% of respondents admitted to at least one drunk driving incident in the past 30 days while men account for 81% of 2010’s driving under the influence offenses.

While the study is definitely not conclusive since it uses self-reported cases of driving under the influence the margin of error likely still means a significant drop in the number of people who are driving while drunk.

Do you believe that the bad economy is responsible for the decreasing number of DUI offenses or could it be from better educational practices that information drivers about the risks of getting caught.