Drunk driving statistics

Which state is the booziest? Which one has the most drunk driving deaths?

Updated Jun 12, 2018

Fact checked

Though drunk driving rates appear on the decline, there are still too many Americans who lose their lives at the hands of inebriated drivers each year.

In 2015, more than 10,000 Americans lost their lives in an accident involving an alcohol-impaired driver. In fact, drunk drivers accounted for 29% of all fatalities on American roads that year.

But just how often do Americans mix alcohol with driving? Which states record the most drunk driving deaths? And how likely is it that you’ll get involved with a drunk driver on the road?

What's in this guide?

Which states have the most drunk driving deaths?
Drunk driving deaths by percent of population
Drunk driving in dry vs. wet counties
Drunk driving limits in the US
What percent of road deaths involve drunk driving?
How does alcohol affect your ability to drive?
Bottom line

Which states have the most drunk driving deaths?

Alcohol-related road accidents accounted for 12,074 deaths in 2015. Those drunk drivers had a BAC of at least .01%, but many had a BAC over .08, the legal limit for driving. Drunk driving and blackouts contribute to road fatalities in every state across the US.

Of course, larger states typically mean more drivers behind the wheel to begin with, hence a higher propensity for accidents.

Total drunk driving deaths per state

Drunk driving deaths with BAC over the legal limit .08

Most total drunk driving deaths over .08

Texas — 1,323
California — 914
Florida — 797
North Carolina — 411
Georgia — 366

Fewest total drunk driving deaths over .08

Washington, DC — 6
Vermont — 15
Rhode Island — 19
Alaska — 23
New Hampshire — 33

Drunk driving deaths by percent of population

What’s really scary is breaking down the number of drunk driving deaths in relation to a state’s population.

For example, Florida’s roads saw 797 drunk driving deaths in 2015. For context, these deaths accounted for 0.14% of the state’s total population. The next closest was Ohio at 313 deaths, representing 0.05% of the population.

Highest percent of drunk driving deaths by population

You have a higher chance of getting into a deadly accident with a drunk driver in these states.

Florida
Ohio
Virginia
Tennessee
South Carolina

Lowest percent of drunk driving deaths by population

These 11 states have a much lower percentage of drunk driving deaths for the total population.

Iowa
Maine
Minnesota
Montana
New Hampshire
North Dakota
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Utah
Vermont
Washington, D.C.

Drunk driving in dry vs. wet counties

People who live in dry counties, or counties where alcohol isn’t sold, are actually more likely to be involved in an alcohol-related crash than people who live in wet counties, or counties where alcohol is sold.

According to one study that looked at six years of crash data in Kentucky, car crashes are equally common in dry and wet counties, but the drivers tend to be from dry areas. One hypothesis for this is that dry county residents have to drive further to get to a bar, so they’re more likely to be on the road after drinking.

Another study looked at over 20 years of drunk driving statistics in Texas and found that selling alcohol at restaurants or bars increased accidents, but selling alcohol at grocery or liquor stores decreased accidents — supporting the idea that the safest place to drink is at home.

Drunk driving limits in the US

What is BAC? Short for blood alcohol content, your BAC is the key factor law enforcement uses to determine whether you’re too drunk to drive. The legal BAC can vary depending on the state, your age or whether you’re driving a commercial vehicle. For instance, a Nevadan under the age of 21 can legally drive on the state’s roads with a BAC of 0.019. But once they hit the Arizona state line, they’re considered breaking the law: Arizona is a zero-tolerance state for drivers who are under 21.

If you’re pulled over and over the legal limit, you could be charged with a felony. Either way, driving drunk has costly consequences ranging from DUI fines to jail time.

What’s more, once you’re caught drunk driving and charged with a DUI, you can expect to pay more for your car insurance — sometimes by as much as 50%.

What percent of road deaths involve drunk driving?

Out of all road deaths in the US, what percent involved drunk drivers compared to sober drivers? 29% of all road deaths involved a drunk driver in 2015, as the national average. That means out of 35,092 total road deaths, about a third of them, around 10,265 total, involved drivers with a BAC of 0.08 or higher — the legal limit for DUI.

How does each state compare to the national average?

Some states saw a higher percent of drunk driving deaths compared to road deaths not involving alcohol. Rhode Island has the highest percentage at 43%. Out of all road accidents resulting in death in this state, almost half of them involved a drunk driver.

Higher percent of road deaths that involve drunk driving

Rhode Island — 43%
Connecticut — 39%
Wyoming — 38%
Texas — 38%
North Dakota — 38%

Lower percent of road deaths that involve drunk driving

Utah — 16%
New Jersey — 20%
Indiana — 22%
Iowa — 24%
Kansas — 24%

How does alcohol affect your ability to drive?

Any amount of alcohol in your body can affect how you drive. Just a few drinks alters your concentration, your judgment and how you react to sudden traffic changes. The more drinks you down, the more your vision, hearing and hand-eye coordination are impaired, making it more difficult to keep your vehicle driving in a straight line.

With enough alcohol in your system — starting at just 0.15 BAC — you might just blackout entirely behind the wheel.

How much alcohol is involved with drunk driving deaths

How drunk do you have to be to kill someone on the road? Which states had the highest BACs and associated deaths?

BAC over legal limit of .08

BAC over .15

Bottom line

Drunk driving is a nationwide problem, and to reduce the number of fatalities each year, it’s up to us to think twice before getting behind the wheel. A simple way to protect fellow drivers is by establishing a designated driver (DD) before you go out for the evening.

If nobody volunteers to be DD, you can always leave your car at home and take the bus, a train or taxi, or more conveniently, call a rideshare. Drive safe!

For media inquiries:

Allan Givens
Public Relations Manager
203-818-2928
allan.givens@finder.com

Nicole Gallina
Communications Coordinator
347-677-4931
nicole.gallina@finder.com

Richard Laycock is Finder’s insights editor after spending the last five years writing and editing articles about insurance. His musings can be found across the web including on MoneyMag, Yahoo Finance and Travel Weekly. When he’s not doing deep dives on data, he is testing the quality of cocktails in his newfound home of New York. Richard studied Media at Macquarie University and The Missouri School of Journalism and has a Tier 1 Certification in General Advice for Life Insurance.

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