50 Shocking Drunk Driving Statistics

After pandemic-era increases, alcohol-impaired driving remains a major roadway threat. However, about one person is killed every 39 minutes in the U.S. in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. In 2022, there were 13,524 such deaths, representing 31% of all traffic fatalities; overall traffic deaths declined an estimated 3.6% in 2023, though the alcohol-specific breakdown for 2023 was not yet final.

A drunk driving incident impacts many people in very serious ways. Of course, the worst-case scenario leaves families devastated by the death or severe injury of a loved one. These consequences are irreversible. Other people are also impacted, especially if a family member is sentenced to jail time, and the incident inevitably adds to financial stresses.

Even if the situation does not result in serious injury, a drunk driving conviction can be costly as fines and attorneys’ fees escalate. Long term, the cost of insurance increases dramatically, and even the best carriers will likely impose higher premiums and other restrictions on coverage.

Fast Facts 

• About 1 million people were arrested for driving under the influence in the U.S. in 2022, according to the FBI.
• A person died in an alcohol-impaired crash about every 39 minutes in 2022, according to the NHTSA.
• Alcohol-impaired driving accounted for 31% of all traffic-related deaths in the US in 2022, according to the NHTSA.
• Each year, children are among those killed in alcohol-impaired crashes. 

50 shocking drunk driving statistics 

Accidents and arrests

1. CDC emphasizes that even small amounts of alcohol impair driving and increase crash risk. (CDC)

2. In 2022, alcohol-impaired driving accounted for 31% of all U.S. traffic deaths (13,524 fatalities). (NHTSA)

3. About 1 million people were arrested for driving under the influence in the U.S. in 2022 (FBI Crime Data Explorer estimate).

4. Alcohol involvement in fatal accidents is most prominent after dark and on weekends, a persistent pattern in recent data. (IIHS)

Deaths and injuries

5. On average, one person was killed about every 39 minutes in 2022 in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. (NHTSA)

6. Alcohol-impaired driving caused 13,524 deaths in 2022 and about 31% of all traffic-related deaths. (NHTSA)

7. Alcohol-impaired fatalities increased from 10,142 in 2019 (28% of traffic deaths) to 13,384 in 2021 and 13,524 in 2022 (31%). (NHTSA/IIHS)

8. Overall U.S. traffic deaths declined by an estimated 3.6% in 2023 compared with 2022; alcohol-impaired specifics for 2023 were not yet finalized in the early estimate. (NHTSA)

9. In 2022, approximately 31% of all traffic fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver. (NHTSA)

10. In 2019, alcohol-impaired deaths were 10,142 (28% of all traffic fatalities); by 2022, they rose to 13,524 (31%). (NHTSA/IIHS)

11. Alcohol-impaired driving remains involved in roughly one-third of U.S. traffic deaths. (MADD.org)

12. IIHS reports long-term declines in the share of fatally injured drivers with BAC ≥ 0.08, but recent data still show a substantial alcohol-impaired burden near one-third of all traffic deaths. (IIHS)

13. Men remain far more likely than women to be alcohol-impaired in fatal crashes, with young adults 21–34 showing the highest involvement. (IIHS)

14. Children continue to be killed in alcohol-impaired crashes each year, underscoring the broad toll on families. (Legaljobs)

15. Alcohol involvement contributes to child traffic deaths each year. (NHTSA)

16. Young adults (roughly ages 21–34) continue to have the highest involvement in alcohol-impaired fatal crashes.  (NHTSA)

17. Alcohol impairment in fatal crashes is several times more common at night than during the day, and higher on weekends than weekdays. (NHTSA)

18. Compared with 2022, total U.S. traffic deaths fell an estimated 3.6% in 2023, while alcohol-specific 2023 counts await final tables. (NHTSA)

19. The national alcohol-impaired fatality rate in 2022 was about 0.42 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This rate uses FHWA travel estimates. (NCLS.org)

20. Nearly one-third of all traffic fatalities involve an alcohol-impaired driver (31% in 2022). (NHTSA)

21. Children are among the victims of alcohol-impaired crashes every year in the United States. (NHTSA)

22. Alcohol-impaired fatal crashes are disproportionately concentrated on weekends, with a higher share than during the week. (NHTSA) 

23. Alcohol involvement is common among motorcyclist fatalities and passenger-vehicle drivers, and far less common among large-truck drivers. (NHTSA)

24. While some use “standard drink” rules of thumb, individual physiology and drink strength vary widely; impairment can begin well below the legal level of intoxication, making any amount of drinking risky for driving. 

Legal limits and consequences 

25. States and localities set per se BAC limits for legal intoxication while driving; at or above that BAC, the offense is established regardless of other evidence. (Alcohol.org)

26. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico set 0.08% as the per se BAC limit for most drivers; Utah lowered its limit to 0.05% effective December 30, 2018. (Alcohol.org)

27. When a driver has a BAC of 0.08 or above (grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood), crash risk rises sharply; 0.08% is the per se limit in every state except Utah, which uses 0.05%. (NHTSA.gov)

28. On December 30, 2018, Utah set a lower legal limit of BAC of 0.05 or above; a federal evaluation found substantial reductions in fatal crash and fatality rates per VMT after implementation, with no surge in DUI arrests. (NHTSA.gov)

29. A large share of alcohol-impaired fatalities involve drivers at very high BACs (≥ 0.15 g/dL). (NHTSA)

30. Most people killed in alcohol-impaired crashes are the impaired drivers themselves, but passengers and nonoccupants also account for many deaths. (NHTSA)

31. Even at BAC levels below 0.08, alcohol can impair driving and contribute to fatal crashes. (NHTSA)

32. Charges for drunk driving range from misdemeanors to felonies; penalties can include fines, license suspension or revocation, ignition interlocks, treatment, and imprisonment. (NHTSA)

33. Defending yourself against a drunk driving charge is expensive; a first-time offense can cost $10,000 or more in fines, fees, and related expenses.  (NHTSA)

34. NHTSA estimates the economic costs of alcohol-involved crashes at $68.9 billion in 2019, exclusive of quality-of-life losses. (MADD.org)

35. Although 0.08 establishes impairment in every state (0.05 in Utah), many drivers in fatal alcohol crashes have BACs well above the legal limit. (NHTSA)

36. Drivers who choose to drink and drive often do so at high BACs; violations cluster at or above per se thresholds, including ≥ 0.15. (NHTSA)

37. A portion of drivers killed in alcohol-impaired crashes have prior DUI convictions, indicating elevated recidivism risk without effective countermeasures. (Legaljobs)

Statistics by states

38. Texas has the largest count of alcohol-impaired traffic deaths nationally. (Legaljobs)

39. Large-population states such as Texas see the highest counts, reflecting exposure as well as risk. (Legaljobs)

40. California consistently reports among the highest counts of alcohol-impaired fatalities. (Legaljobs)

41. Ranks by count can shift year to year, but Texas, California, and Florida typically post among the largest totals. (Legaljobs)

42. Florida is regularly among the states with the most alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities.  (Legaljobs)

43. The District of Columbia typically records among the smallest counts of alcohol-impaired fatalities. (Legaljobs)

44. The national average share of alcohol-impaired fatalities among all traffic fatalities in 2022 was 31%. (NHTSA)

45. By share, states vary widely; in 2023, several Northern Plains and Mountain West states had among the highest proportions of alcohol-impaired deaths, while Utah and several Southern states were among the lowest. (IIHS/NHTSA)

46. In 2021, the percentage of fatalities in accidents involving a driver with a BAC of 0.15 or higher ranged from a 31% high in Montana to a low of 12% in Kentucky and West Virginia. The national average was 19%. (NHTSA)

Costs and societal impact

47. In 2022, the alcohol-impaired fatality rate was about 0.42 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT). (Responsibility.org)

48. Economic costs attributable to alcohol-involved crashes were $68.9 billion in 2019; comprehensive societal harm (including quality-of-life losses) is several times higher. (NHTSA)

49. Alcohol-impaired deaths rose from 2019 through 2021 and remained elevated in 2022, underscoring the need for sustained countermeasures. (NHTSA)

50. In 2022, alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 31% of all traffic deaths; overall U.S. traffic deaths declined an estimated 3.6% in 2023. (NHTSA)

Drunk driving and the seasons 

Holidays bring family and friends together for celebration and fellowship. The holidays also give rise to two patterns that can increase danger and risk: increased driving travel and more drinking. Together, these factors continue to elevate alcohol-impaired traffic risk during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, with New Year’s Day typically showing the highest share of alcohol-impaired crash deaths of any day of the year.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving encompasses one of the year’s longest holiday travel periods. With record or near-record roadway travel in recent years, nighttime and weekend hours around the holiday show elevated impairment risk, especially the evening before Thanksgiving through the weekend.

• NHTSA’s Thanksgiving enforcement materials emphasize nighttime and weekend impairment during the long holiday period.
• As travel demand rebounded to multi-year highs, exposure to impaired drivers increased around the holiday.
• Risk is concentrated on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving and late nights through early Sunday morning.

Christmas

The Christmas Day holiday period varies by weekday, and late-night celebrations often coincide with winter driving conditions. Alcohol involvement increases during late-night hours, and national enforcement campaigns target this window each December.

• During the Christmas period, the share of fatalities involving alcohol typically exceeds non-holiday periods during late-night hours. (NSC)
• Over multi-year spans, thousands of December crash deaths involve alcohol, underscoring why December remains a focus of high-visibility enforcement.  
• Despite improvements in overall safety, holiday-period impairment persists, particularly late at night.
• Recent national data show elevated alcohol involvement during Christmas week even as overall traffic deaths eased in 2023.

New Years

New Year’s Eve presents a worst-case scenario for danger on our roadways due to celebrations that traditionally promote alcohol consumption, late-night driving, and, often, poor weather. As a result, the very early hours of January 1st, New Years Day, are often the most deadly.  

• January 1 is, on average, the deadliest day for the share of alcohol-impaired crash deaths, according to IIHS.
• New Year’s routinely has the highest alcohol-impaired fatality share of any day, with risk concentrated after dark and into the early morning.
• Agencies across the country deploy high-visibility “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” operations each December because of the persistently high New Year’s risk. (NSC)
• Year after year, New Years Day has consistently seen higher alcohol-impaired fatality shares than the days one and two weeks later. (NSC)

The facts and figures above about drunk driving in the United States paint a sobering picture. The silver lining, if there is one, is that increased awareness, proven countermeasures, and sustained enforcement have helped overall traffic deaths edge lower in 2023, even as alcohol-impaired fatalities remain an urgent, ongoing challenge.