Driving Under the Influence

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including methamphetamine, can impair the ability to drive safely (Colorado, 2018).

DUI Collisions

From 2001 to 2022, there were 636 fatal collisions in which at least one driver tested positive for methamphetamine (methamphetamine-involved ) in LAC (Figure 1), accounting for 13% of all fatal collisions involving alcohol or drugs (N=4,988).

DUI Fatalities and Injuries

From 2001 to 2022, there were 704 fatalities and 463 injuries from methamphetamine-involved fatal collisions (Figures 2-3).

DUI Drivers

From 2001-2022, over half of the drivers of fatal collisions that tested positive for methamphetamine (N=637) were aged 25-44 years (N=361, 57%) (Figure 4).

From 2001-2022, the drivers of fatal collisions that tested positive for methamphetamine (N=637) were predominantly male (N=539, 85%) (Figure 5).

Among drivers who died in fatal collisions (for which race/ethnicity information was available from death certificates) and who had tested positive for methamphetamine (N=562), Whites (45%) and Latinxs (42%) were the largest race/ethnic groups, followed by Blacks (9%) and Asian/Pacific Islanders (API) (4%) (Figure 6).

Among the 637 drivers in LAC fatal collisions who tested positive for methamphetamine, only 13% were positive for methamphetamine alone. Over half (55%) also tested positive for other drugs, 9% also tested positive for alcohol (BAC > 0.08), and 23% also tested positive for both alcohol and other drugs (Figure 7).

References

Colorado Department of Public Safety. Division of Criminal Justice. Office of Research and Statistics. (2018). Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and Alcohol. A Report Pursuant to House Bill 17-1315.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2001-2022.