The 2009 death toll is the lowest since 1944, when 526 people were killed on state roadways. Factors for the continued reduction include increased enforcement, a drop in alcohol-related crashes, more publicity about drinking and driving and better decisions by driver. Alcohol-related fatalities, which had declined by 30 percent to 234 in 2008 from 337 in 2007, will also be down dramatically, Lonsdorf said. Preliminary figures show that 163 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2009. Publicity about stiffer drunken driving laws and high-profile drunken driving cases have helped keep the word out about the perils of drunken driving. See Full Article
