US States With The Highest Drunk Driving Arrests

Driving Under the Influence is becoming a pandemic. Annually, the average number of people arrested for drunk driving is approximately 1,500,000. The average amount of people who die yearly from a drunk driving related accident is about 10,075. The number of DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers is around 1,250. Out of any age group, drivers between the ages of eighteen and twenty nine are the most likely to be arrested for a DUI. Drivers between the ages of eighteen and twenty four make up nearly 25.3% of all DUI arrests and 54% of DUI offenders report that they were only drinking beer.

The statistics are startling. Half a percent of our total United States population is being charged with DUI offenses. This does not include drunk drivers who are not caught and this also does not include the sober lives who were affected or terminated by a drunk driving accident.

The properly protect oneself, it may be a good idea to learn about the top drunk driving states. Read on to learn more about the most dangerous states for drunk driving and information about dui lawyers and dui defense attorneys that can help you.

You may be surprised about Arizona’s placement on the list!

Hawaii

It is hard to imagine a place as serene and beautiful as Hawaii could have such a serious drunk driving problem. However, Hawaii has the highest rate of alcohol impaired driving. Nearly 492 out of 1000 people interviewed admitted to driving while inebriated. That is nearly half! Hawaii also reported 995 drunk driving incidents annually per 1000 people. This means that nearly every person in the state of Hawaii is unfortunately involved in a drunk driving accident yearly.

Nebraska

Nebraska sports a disturbing 955 out of 1000 rating of people who have admitted to driving while drunk. Since new legislation was passed in 2011, Nebraska has seen a serious increase in the amount of breathalyzer interlock devices installed on vehicles and subsequently a decrease in drunk driving fatalities. Nebraska is also putting up more sobriety checkpoints as well, and hopefully will see a safer future.

Montana

Out of Montana’s 1000 people surveyed, 885 admitted to driving drunk. Unfortunately, Montana legislature has done very little to reduce their drunk driving problem. Consequently, nearly 38% of all car accident fatalities in Montana were during drunk driving accidents.

Vermont

In Vermont, 881 people out of 1000 people surveys admitted to driving while drunk. Vermont has created an optional ignition interlock program for convicted drunk offenders in 2010, but has seen a 50% decrease in drunk driving related fatalities as a result since 2014. Should Vermont decide to make their interlock program mandatory, they may see an even greater decrease in unfortunate drunk driving deaths.

North Dakota

This snowy state, based on 1000 people surveyed, showed that 855 people have admitted to drunk driving. Not only that, but North Dakota was ranked number one in drunk driving arrests and vehicle fatalities in 2015. This could be because North Dakota is a state where high alcohol consumption is more popular, and that factor is paired with potentially dangerous driving conditions such as black ice, snow, and hail.

Connecticut

It is hard to believe that a quaint little state like Connecticut could have such a serious drunk driving problem. Approximately 567 out of 1000 people in Connecticut have admitted to driving while drunk. Nearly 40% of all traffic deaths in Connecticut were related to drunk driving in 2015 as well. However, in 2014 Connecticut passed legislation that offered great improvement to the state’s ignition interlock law, which is required for all drunk driving offenders, including first time offenders. Hopefully the state will see some improvements.

Illinois

Illinois sports a rate of 513 out of 1000 drunk drivers annually. This could be due to Illinois and Wisconsin’s cultural love of beer, but nobody can be completely sure. Regardless, the state has been taking greater precautions to enforce a no tolerance policy.

Arizona

Believe it or not, Arizona is very low on the list of drunk driving. Only 300 out of 1000 people surveys admitted to driving while under the influence. Arizona is beat in low drunk driving statistics only by New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. Utah reigns as the safest state to be in when it comes to drunk driving, with only 217 people out of 1000 admitting to driving drunk. Arizona’s good placement may have a lot to do with Arizona’s ignition interlock law. This law requires drunk drivers to install a breathalyzer mechanism into their vehicle in order to drive. As a result, drunk driving incidents have dropped nearly 45% since 2007.

How can we reduce drunk driving?

There are many ways to reduce drunk driving and the injuries and fatalities that come with it. Do not afraid to let a friend know that they have had a little too much to drink and cannot drive. Have several ridesharing apps like Lyft or Uber handy to get home safe. States and communities could also apply certain interventions such as sobriety checkpoints in areas where there is a high concentration of bars or drunk driving accidents. Better enforcement of the minimum drinking age and aggressively requiring the use of ignition locks, also known as sobriety testing devices that must be passed in order to start a vehicle, could also help drastically.

I have been affected by a drunk driving accident. Who can help?

Have you been injured in a drunk driving accident and you need a DUI lawyer? Have you been accused of drunk driving and need a DUI defense attorney that will fight for you? Phoenix DUI Lawyers is the law firm you can trust in Arizona. When you need a DUI lawyer or DUI defense attorney, we can match you with a team of attorneys that have the experience and expertise to help you.