Drunk Driving Deaths Decline Nationally By 4Pct, But DUI Motorcycle Deaths Up 7.5Pct

August 29, 2008 10:23 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - A new government report found that while drunk driving deaths overall were down by 4 percent nationally, that they rose by 7.5 percent for motorcycle drivers.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters said Thursday that drunk driving-related deaths had declined nationally as well in 32 states. However, the number of alcohol related fatalities among motorcyclists climbed in half the states.

The worst state for drunk driving fatalities for motorcyclists was Virginia, where such deaths more than tripled from 12 in 2006 to 37 in 2007.

While 32 states saw the number of alcohol-related fatalities decline, other states saw the number rise. Those states included Alabama, Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.