Each day in America, about 37 people are killed in drunk-driving crashes, or one person every 39 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2021, 13,384 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths, a 14% jump from 2020 when fatal drunk-driving accidents rose in 2020 for the first time since 2016. About 31% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers.
To determine the drunk driving rate in every state, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on alcohol-impaired driving fatalities reported in each state from the 2023 County Health Rankings report. It used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System for the 2016-2020 period for this measure.
The NHTSA attributed the spike in drunk-driving deaths to factors such as the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, which led to more people driving, and the reopening of bars and restaurants, making it easier for people to drink and drive. The deadliest time of day is between 6 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. when 43% of all fatal drunk-driving crashes occur.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis reported that between 2020 and 2021, there was a significant increase in the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes whose blood alcohol content level surpassed .08+. Alaska, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Massachusetts, and Delaware posted surges of drunk-driving deaths above 50%.
Large states in the West such as Montana and Texas have high rates of fatal accidents caused by impaired drivers for various reasons. They are mostly rural with long distances between towns and cities and driving home is particularly challenging. Roads in many western states are difficult to drive anyway because of harsh weather conditions. These areas also lack public transportation options.
Some states are making progress in reducing drunk-driving fatalities. States including Maine, Rhode Island, Nebraska, and West Virginia reported decreases in the number of drivers with BAC .08+.
Other states have taken aggressive measures to reduce drunk-driving deaths. Besides revoking a driver’s license and imposing still monetary fines, many states require offenders to install ignition interlock devices at the driver’s own expense. This is a breath-test device connected to a vehicle’s ignition. The vehicle cannot be operated unless the driver blows into the interlock and has a BAC below a pre-set low limit. (Also See This Is the Drunkest City in the US: Ranking America’s Top 50)
Alabama
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 25.9% — 17th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,255 — 13th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 16.1% — 6th lowest
- Population: 5,074,296 — 24th highest
Alaska
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 36.9% — 4th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 138 — 3rd lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 20.0% — 13th highest
- Population: 733,583 — 3rd lowest
Arizona
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 22.3% — 8th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,112 — 16th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.4% — 16th lowest
- Population: 7,359,197 — 14th highest
Arkansas
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 25.7% — 15th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 706 — 25th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.8% — 20th lowest
- Population: 3,045,637 — 18th lowest
California
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 27.7% — 23rd lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 5,185 — the highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 18.4% — 24th lowest
- Population: 39,029,342 — the highest
Colorado
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 34.0% — 9th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,055 — 18th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 20.3% — 11th highest
- Population: 5,839,926 — 21st highest
Connecticut
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 30.4% — 20th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 432 — 16th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.4% — 17th lowest
- Population: 3,626,205 — 22nd lowest
Delaware
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 25.0% — 11th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 149 — 4th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.3% — 15th lowest
- Population: 1,018,396 — 6th lowest
Florida
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 22.0% — 7th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 3,503 — 3rd highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.2% — 14th lowest
- Population: 22,244,823 — 3rd highest
Georgia
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 20.7% — 5th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,606 — 7th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 16.2% — 7th lowest
- Population: 10,912,876 — 8th highest
Hawaii
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 31.5% — 16th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 169 — 5th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.0% — 24th highest
- Population: 1,440,196 — 11th lowest
Idaho
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 31.1% — 18th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 363 — 12th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.1% — 13th lowest
- Population: 1,939,033 — 13th lowest
Illinois
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 28.8% — 25th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,557 — 8th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 15.4% — 5th lowest
- Population: 12,582,032 — 6th highest
Indiana
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 19.0% — 2nd lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 817 — 23rd highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 18.4% — 23rd lowest
- Population: 6,833,037 — 17th highest
Iowa
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 26.8% — 19th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 461 — 19th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 24.7% — 2nd highest
- Population: 3,200,517 — 20th lowest
Kansas
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 19.4% — 3rd lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 413 — 15th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.7% — 18th highest
- Population: 2,937,150 — 16th lowest
Kentucky
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 25.5% — 14th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 981 — 20th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 16.8% — 9th lowest
- Population: 4,512,310 — 25th lowest
Louisiana
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 31.2% — 17th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,203 — 15th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 21.9% — 7th highest
- Population: 4,590,241 — 25th highest
Maine
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 34.4% — 8th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 272 — 10th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.0% — 21st highest
- Population: 1,385,340 — 9th lowest
Maryland
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 28.3% — 25th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 755 — 24th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 14.6% — 4th lowest
- Population: 6,164,660 — 19th highest
Massachusetts
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 30.5% — 19th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 541 — 20th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.3% — 20th highest
- Population: 6,981,974 — 16th highest
Michigan
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 29.2% — 24th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,502 — 9th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 20.1% — 12th highest
- Population: 10,034,118 — 10th highest
Minnesota
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 29.9% — 22nd highest
- Total driving fatalities: 564 — 21st lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 21.5% — 8th highest
- Population: 5,717,184 — 22nd highest
Mississippi
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 18.5% — the lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 635 — 23rd lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 16.4% — 8th lowest
- Population: 2,940,057 — 17th lowest
Missouri
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 27.6% — 22nd lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,286 — 11th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 20.0% — 14th highest
- Population: 6,177,957 — 18th highest
Montana
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 46.4% — the highest
- Total driving fatalities: 443 — 18th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 23.9% — 3rd highest
- Population: 1,122,867 — 8th lowest
Nebraska
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 33.2% — 10th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 384 — 14th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 23.2% — 5th highest
- Population: 1,967,923 — 14th lowest
Nevada
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 27.3% — 21st lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 435 — 17th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.9% — 15th highest
- Population: 3,177,772 — 19th lowest
New Hampshire
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 33.1% — 11th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 195 — 6th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.9% — 17th highest
- Population: 1,395,231 — 10th lowest
New Jersey
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 22.8% — 9th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 669 — 24th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 18.6% — 25th highest
- Population: 9,261,699 — 11th highest
New Mexico
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 29.4% — 23rd highest
- Total driving fatalities: 588 — 22nd lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.5% — 18th lowest
- Population: 2,113,344 — 15th lowest
New York
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 20.2% — 4th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,002 — 19th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.6% — 19th lowest
- Population: 19,677,151 — 4th highest
North Carolina
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 25.9% — 16th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,864 — 5th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.0% — 12th lowest
- Population: 10,698,973 — 9th highest
North Dakota
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 41.4% — 2nd highest
- Total driving fatalities: 221 — 8th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 23.5% — 4th highest
- Population: 779,261 — 4th lowest
Ohio
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 32.5% — 14th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,875 — 4th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.0% — 23rd highest
- Population: 11,756,058 — 7th highest
Oklahoma
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 26.8% — 20th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 881 — 22nd highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 13.8% — 3rd lowest
- Population: 4,019,800 — 23rd lowest
Oregon
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 27.9% — 24th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 680 — 25th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.9% — 16th highest
- Population: 4,240,137 — 24th lowest
Pennsylvania
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 25.4% — 12th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,447 — 10th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 20.7% — 10th highest
- Population: 12,972,008 — 5th highest
Rhode Island
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 40.3% — 3rd highest
- Total driving fatalities: 128 — 2nd lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 18.3% — 22nd lowest
- Population: 1,093,734 — 7th lowest
South Carolina
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 32.8% — 12th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,677 — 6th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.0% — 22nd highest
- Population: 5,282,634 — 23rd highest
South Dakota
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 36.1% — 5th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 223 — 9th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 21.0% — 9th highest
- Population: 909,824 — 5th lowest
Tennessee
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 23.5% — 10th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,280 — 12th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 17.0% — 11th lowest
- Population: 7,051,339 — 15th highest
Texas
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 25.4% — 13th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 4,739 — 2nd highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 18.6% — 25th lowest
- Population: 30,029,572 — 2nd highest
Utah
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 21.7% — 6th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 291 — 11th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 11.8% — the lowest
- Population: 3,380,800 — 21st lowest
Vermont
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 35.4% — 7th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 109 — the lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 22.1% — 6th highest
- Population: 647,064 — 2nd lowest
Virginia
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 30.3% — 21st highest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,243 — 14th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 16.9% — 10th lowest
- Population: 8,683,619 — 12th highest
Washington
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 32.7% — 13th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 892 — 21st highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 18.0% — 21st lowest
- Population: 7,785,786 — 13th highest
West Virginia
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 26.1% — 18th lowest
- Total driving fatalities: 364 — 13th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 13.5% — 2nd lowest
- Population: 1,775,156 — 12th lowest
Wisconsin
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 35.6% — 6th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 1,064 — 17th highest
- Adults drinking excessively: 26.1% — the highest
- Population: 5,892,539 — 20th highest
Wyoming
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities: 31.8% — 15th highest
- Total driving fatalities: 197 — 7th lowest
- Adults drinking excessively: 19.3% — 19th highest
- Population: 581,381 — the lowest
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