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Illinois Shows Increase in Youth Alcohol-Related Traffic Deaths

16 September 1998

Illinois Experiences an Increase in the Rate of Youth Under 21 Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities per 100,000 Population
Click here to see The Century Council's state by state ranking of changes in alcohol related traffic deaths for those under 21, 1996-1997.


    SPRINGFIELD, Ill.--Sept. 16, 1998--The rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth under 21 per 100,000 population in Illinois increased in 1997, according to recently released national statistics as reported by The Century Council, a national anti-alcohol abuse organization.
    In 1997, the alcohol-related traffic fatality rate among youth under 21 in Illinois was 2.92 per 100,000 population, up from 2.56 in 1996, an increase of 14 percent. The actual number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth under 21 was 93 in 1996 and 107 in 1997.
    "We are concerned at this increase in alcohol-related driving deaths in Illinois," said John C. Lawn, chairman and CEO of The Century Council, which fights drunk driving and underage drinking problems and is funded by America's leading distillers.
    "This is especially disheartening when compared to the rest of the country, which saw a five percent reduction in the rate of youth under 21 alcohol-related traffic fatalities per 100,000 from 1996 to 1997," he said.
    However, when viewed over the long term, Illinois' record is more reassuring. From 1987 to 1997, the rate of alcohol-related traffic deaths among youth under 21 per 100,000 population declined 36 percent. "We hope that the increase between 1996 and 1997 is reversed this year in Illinois," Lawn said.
    The Century Council bases its statistics on 1997 data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and General Estimating System (GES) databases, and the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
    The Century Council is a national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting alcohol abuse, focusing on drunk driving and illegal underage drinking. Founded in 1991, the Council has headquarters in Los Angeles and is funded by America's leading distillers. The Council's Website address is www.centurycouncil.org.