In the United States, injuries are the fourth-leading cause of death, exceeded only by heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Of all deaths from injury in the United States, about 65 percent are classified as unintentional or accidental. The other 35 percent are intentional injuries, occurring as a result of fights, assaults, suicide, homicide, and other crimes. Alcohol-related fatalities have been estimated to be about 43 percent of all unintentional injuries.

Studies show that an amazing number of those injured and killed every year have high levels of alcohol in their blood. This may be because the drinking accident victim engaged in risky behavior, such as not wearing a seat belt or motorcycle helmet. People who tend to take safety risks, act impulsively, and engage in thrill seeking are likely to both drink alcohol and to suffer from injuries. Alcohol is known to decrease...