(Newser)
–
The good news: According to self-reported data, Americans are driving drunk less often. The bad news: It may not be because we're more responsible, but because ... we're broke. The CDC data shows that self-reported drunk driving among adults was down 30% from 161 million instances in 2006 to about 112 million in 2010. Though the reasons are "not well understood," the CDC says the poor economy could be a factor, as more people drink at home.
The exact quote: "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 poll found that 1.8% of respondents admitted to at least one drunk driving incident in the past 30 days; it also found that men accounted for a full 81% of last year's driving under the influence episodes, Politico reports.
