Drivers of all ages with blood alcohol levels of .08 — the legal standard for a presumption of drunkenness — were involved in 12,945 fatal crashes last year, down slightly from 13,099 in 2004, NHTSA said.

Thirty-two drivers involved in fatal accidents last year in Utah were found to have blood-alcohol levels over the legal limit, and 12 of those were between the ages of 21 and 34. That rate is down significantly from more than 70 drunk drivers in 2004 involved in fatalities, a nearly 51 percent difference.

"We're one of the lucky states, our rates have been coming down," Tingey said. "We're still having problems, but we're making progress and that's good."

He said there were more than 14,000 arrests in Utah for impaired driving last year. Troopers aren't only arresting those intoxicated with alcohol but those impaired by drug use and other methods of "getting a high," Tingey said.

A 170-pound man who drinks at least four drinks in an hour on an empty stomach would reach the .08 level. Three drinks in the same timeframe would do it for a 135-pound woman, according to NHTSA.

The lobbying group Mothers Against Drunk Driving endorsed the ad campaign and the police crackdown. MADD President Glynn Birch, a father whose 21-month-old son was killed by a drunken driver in 1988, said research shows public information combined with a visible law enforcement presence are the most effective deterrents to drunken driving.

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How the states fared

Although the number of fatalities involving drivers with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 dipped only marginally for the nation as a whole, the changes in 2005 compared with 2004 were more dramatic in many states and the District of Columbia.

The five states with the biggest declines last year:

— Utah: 50.7 percent down from 2004

— Maryland and Rhode Island (tie): 23.7 percent

— Massachusetts: 20.7 percent

— Oregon: 19.3 percent

— Connecticut: 18.8 percent

The five jurisdictions with the biggest increases last year:

— Vermont: 40 percent jump from 2004

— Delaware: 35.9 percent

— North Dakota: 32.4 percent

— District of Columbia: 30.8 percent

— Hawaii: 20.5 percent

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration