Poor mental health, police cuts fueled pandemic spike in impaired-driving deaths

Poor mental health_ police cuts fueled pandemic spike in impaired-driving deaths

ARLINGTON, Va., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE

Poor mental health, police cuts fueled pandemic spike in impaired-driving deaths

ARLINGTON, Va., July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A national mental health crisis and reductions in policing may have helped fuel an increase in impaired-driving deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the role of more liberal alcohol policies was unclear, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows.   "These results reinforce the need for a Safe System approach that incorporates multiple measures to combat impaired driv…

Mental Health Crisis, Police Cuts Linked to Rise in Impaired-Driving Deaths During Pandemic - CollisionWeek

A mental health crisis and reduced police staffing contributed to increased impaired-driving fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The percentage of passenger-vehicle drivers killed in crashes with blood alcohol concentrations of 0.08% or higher rose from 28% in 2019 to 30% in 2020 and …

Impaired driving deaths spiked under COVID lockdowns: IIHS

Today we've got more news, as if we needed it, that we have yet to escape the shadow of the pandemic. America’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently revealed that statistics show a spike in impaired-driving deaths during COVID-19 lock-downs.