WASHINGTON — Drunken- driving deaths fell in 32 states in 2007, the government reported Thursday, but alcohol-related fatalities increased among motorcycle riders in half the states.
Nearly 13,000 people were killed in crashes in which the driver had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent, the legal limit in the United States, or higher.
Overall, alcohol deaths were down nearly 4 percent compared with 2006, when nearly 13,500 people died on roadways.
Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said she was disappointed by the increase in deaths involving drunken motorcycle riders. A total of 1,621 motorcyclists were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2007, an increase of 7.5 percent.
Motorcycle riders have been featured in the government’s $13 million advertising campaign surrounding the Labor Day holiday. Law enforcement agencies are increasing their enforcement against drunken driving during the end of the summer.
Among the states, California had 117 fewer alcohol-impaired driving deaths last year, the largest decrease in the nation. Texas had 108 fewer deaths, and Arizona’s fatalities dropped by 63.
California conducted more than 1,000 sobriety checkpoints during the year and encouraged motorists to dial 911 on their cellphones if they spotted a potentially drunken driver.
North Carolina had an increase of 66 deaths, the most among states, followed by South Carolina with 44 fatalities.
Alcohol-impaired deaths also increased in Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Colorado had 179 alcohol-related traffic deaths in 2006 and 170 in 2007. Its alcohol-related motorcycle deaths stayed the same, with 28 each year.
