Drunken-driving deaths fall in Md., nationally

A new report shows the number of traffic fatalities caused by drunken drivers fell last year in 32 states, including Maryland.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Maryland posted a 5.3 percent decrease in alcohol-impaired driving fatalities. The number for the nation as a whole fell 3.7 percent.

In raw numbers, the number of drunken-driving deaths on Maryland roads fell from 189 in 2009 to 179 last year. However, drunken-driving deaths caused by motorcycles rise 10 percent nationwide, and rose in Maryland from 23 in 2006 to 25 in 2007.