One in three highway deaths in US due to alcohol

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Nearly one in three highway fatalities in the United States last year stemmed from alcohol consumption, the government said Thursday as it launched a holiday campaign against drunk driving.

In 2011, 9,878 people died in alcohol-related road accidents - 31 percent of all highway fatalities, the Transportation Department said.

That first figure was down 2.5 per cent from the previous year, and the latter marked a drop of 1.9 per cent.

American authorities define an alcohol-related accident as one involving a person with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.8g or higher.