The holidays are upon us, and though we look forward to enjoying the time with family and friends, law enforcement and health officials prepare for the surge in people driving under the influence of alcohol.
Each day in the U.S., about 37 people die 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. That’s a 14% increase from 2020. About 31% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers.
Driving under the influence is a problem in every U.S. state, and is especially serious in the colder, more sparsely populated areas of the nation.
To determine the states where drunk driving causes the most accidents, 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. States were ranked by the percent of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities of all driving deaths.
The Far West and the New England states experience more drunk-driving fatalities than other parts of the country. Seven of the 10 states with the most driving deaths tied to alcohol are among the most sparsely populated in the U.S. where people have few mass transportation options in case they drink too much. Four of the 10 states with the fewest driving fatalities involving liquor are in the South.
The states of Rhode Island, Alaska, and Vermont had among the fewest total driving fatalities of any state, yet they were among the top seven in the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities. Montana, with the nation’s eighth-lowest population, led the country in highest percentage of alcohol-impaired driving deaths at 46.4%. This is more than two times higher than Mississippi, whose percentage of liquor-impaired driving deaths was a national low 18.5%.
Five of the states with the highest percentage of liquor-impaired driving deaths are also among those that drink excessively. (And these are the drunkest states in the U.S.)
Technology may eventually make a difference in stemming alcohol-impaired driving fatalities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in December took an important step toward requiring car makers to equip new vehicles with sensors able to detect whether a driver is under the influence of alcohol and prevent them from driving.
The initiative seeks to fulfill a requirement of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that directs the NHTSA to issue a rule establishing a federal motor vehicle safety standard that requires new passenger vehicles to have “advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology.”
Scroll below to see the states with the most drunk driving deaths.
50. 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
49. 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
48. 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
47. 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
46. 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
45. 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
44. 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
43. 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
42. 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
41. 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
40. 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
39. 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
38. 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
37. 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
36. 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
34. 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
35. 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
33. 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
32. 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
31. 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
30. 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
29. 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
28. 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
27. 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
26. 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
25. 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
24. 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
23. 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
22. 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
21. 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
20. 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
19. 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
18. 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
17. 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
16. 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
15. 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
14. 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
13. 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
12. 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
11. 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
10. 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
9. 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
8. 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
7. 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
6. 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
5. 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
4. 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
3. 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
2. 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
1. 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
Sponsored: Tips for Investing
A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.