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New drunk driving survey ranks Nebraska in top 3
Statistically Nebraska has one of the highest rates of drinking and driving. That's according to a national survey released Thursday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
It's not good, especially since the nationwide percentage of drunk driving has dropped. But Nebraska's numbers have stayed consistent, and among states, it currently has the third highest rate of people driving under the influence. Close to 400,000 Nebraskans drove drunk each year between 2006 and 2009. A national study surveyed drivers 16 and older. In Nebraska, more than 21 percent admitted to having recently driven under the influence. Compare that to the nationwide average of 13 percent. Marilyn Brown is with Mother's Against Drunk Driving. She said those numbers are shocking. "As a driver I would hate to be out when those 21 percent are out," said Brown. The nationwide average has dropped since the last study released in 2005. But Nebraska's average went up a half percent. States in the upper Midwest region have the highest rates of drunk driving in the country led by Wisconsin and South Dakota. Nebraska doesn't trail too far behind. "A lot of speculation is that its part of the culture that of the people who were immigrants here. That alcohol is part of many activities that take place," said Nebraska Highway Safety Admin Fred Zwonecheck. But state officials said even though the rate of drunk driving remains high in Nebraska the number of alcohol related deaths on the roads are low. "Our fatal alcohol rate is lower than the national average. It's been consistently declining for more than a decade and that's really progress. We're doing a lot of things on public policy, enforcement, education and treatment," Zwonecheck said. And though Marilyn said that's a start, she would like to see fewer people taking the risk behind the wheel. "All you have to see is some of the problems that happen from families who have been victims of driving drunk and you shouldn't not be doing that," said Brown. Now to see a list of how other states ranked in the national survey see below: 2006_2009 16+ A B C 1 State % Driving under the influence of alcohol (2006-2009) 2 Utah 7.4 3 Mississippi 8.7 4 Kentucky 8.9 5 West Virginia 9.0 6 Alabama 9.7 7 New Jersey 10.2 8 Idaho 10.3 9 New Mexico 10.4 10 New York 10.4 10.5162 11 Arkansas 10.5 10.5371 12 Tennessee 10.5 13 North Carolina 10.6 14 Maryland 10.7 15 Florida 10.9 16 Alaska 11.1 17 Georgia 11.1 18 Maine 11.8 19 Pennsylvania 11.8 20 Washington 12.1 21 Arizona 12.5 22 California 12.6 23 Indiana 12.9 24 District of Columbia 13.1 25 Virginia 13.2 26 South Carolina 13.8 27 Nevada 13.9 28 Texas 13.9 29 Louisiana 14.3 30 Oregon 14.4 31 Delaware 14.5 14.6517 32 Illinois 14.7 14.6657 33 Ohio 14.7 34 Missouri 14.8 35 Oklahoma 14.8 36 Vermont 15.4 37 Hawaii 15.8 38 Michigan 15.9 39 New Hampshire 16.0 40 Colorado 16.2 41 Kansas 16.7 42 Iowa 16.8 43 Wyoming 17.0 44 Connecticut 17.3 45 Massachusetts 17.3 46 Rhode Island 17.4 47 Montana 18.9 48 Minnesota 20.4 49 South Dakota 20.5 50 Nebraska 21.5 51 North Dakota 22.4 52 Wisconsin 23.7 |
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