Jefferson County Sheriff Cadet Andrew Sevitts directs traffic as police stop drivers to see if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol at a mobile Driving Under the Influence (DUI) checkpoint in Golden, Colorado, April 12, 2008. (Rick Wilking/Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -
About 15 percent of U.S. adults have
driven under the influence of alcohol in the past year and in
some states as many as 25 percent did, according to a
government study released on Wednesday.

Another 4.7 percent drove under the influence of illegal
drugs, the survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration found.

Utah had the fewest drunk drivers, with 9.5 percent of
drivers 18 and older admitting to it. Wisconsin had the most,
with 26.4 percent, followed by 24.9 percent in North Dakota and
23.5 percent in Minnesota.

“Combined data from 2004 to 2006 indicate that 15.1 percent
of current drivers aged 18 or older drove under the influence
of alcohol in the past year,” reads the report, complied from
national surveys.

It cites National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
findings that show 16,700 people died in accidents related to
driving under the influence of alcohol in 2004.

“This report highlights the enormous public health risk
posed by this problem — one threatening the lives of many
Americans every day,” SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline said in
a statement.

“In 2006, an estimated 30.5 million persons aged 12 or
older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the
past 12 months, and 10.2 million persons aged 12 or older
reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during
the past year,” reads the report, available at
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/stateDUI/stateDUI.cfm.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)