The US DUI Report – The States With the Most and Least Drunk Driving

Driving Under the Influence (DUI) remains a significant cause of road accidents and fatalities in the United States annually. The data for 2023 shows a mixed picture, with some encouraging progress alongside persistent challenges in our ongoing battle against drunk driving.

In 2023, there were 12,430 deaths attributed to drunk driving, accounting for 30% of all road fatalities. This represents a notable decrease from 2022, where 13,524 deaths were attributed to drunk driving (32% of total traffic fatalities). This 8.1% reduction in drunk driving fatalities marks the first significant improvement since the concerning spike that began during the pandemic years.

Despite this positive trend, the 2023 figures remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. The number of drunk driving deaths is still 23% higher than the 10,142 fatalities recorded in 2019, indicating that while we’ve made progress from the pandemic peak, substantial work remains to return to pre-pandemic safety levels.

Zutobi, the leading driving education company, analyzed the data across all states to understand the variations in DUI accidents, fatalities, and arrests. Through an in-depth examination of the latest available data, we have ranked each state from best to worst, revealing where DUI-related incidents are more frequent and where states are making the most progress.

As we continue our efforts to promote road safety, it is essential to address the issue of drunk driving effectively and implement measures to prevent such tragedies. By identifying the areas with higher incidents of DUI and recognizing successful interventions, we can focus our resources and strategies to make a positive impact and save lives on our roads.

Note: Drunk driving statistics take time to collect. This report features the latest data released in June 2025.

How drunk driving fatalities have changed through the years

The long-term trend shows significant progress: DUI fatalities have decreased from 41% of all road fatalities in 1985 to 30% in 2023. However, the pandemic period created a notable disruption in this positive trajectory.

The 2023 data reveals both encouraging and concerning trends:

• Encouraging: An 8.1% decrease in DUI fatalities from 2022 to 2023, marking the first significant year-over-year improvement since 2019
• Concerning: DUI fatalities remain 23% higher than pre-pandemic 2019 levels, despite the recent improvement

Several factors likely contributed to the 2023 improvement. As pandemic-related disruptions continued to normalize, behavioral patterns around alcohol consumption and driving began stabilizing. Additionally, many states intensified their DUI prevention efforts, including enhanced enforcement campaigns and expanded public awareness initiatives.

The economic environment in 2023, while still challenging with persistent inflation concerns, showed more stability compared to 2022, potentially reducing some of the stress-related factors that contributed to increased alcohol consumption during the height of economic uncertainty.

Regional variations continue to play a significant role, with some states showing dramatic improvements while others still struggle with elevated DUI rates compared to historical norms.

Is there any difference between men and women?

The gender disparity in DUI fatalities remains stark and largely unchanged. Men continue to be over 300% more likely to be involved in a fatal drunk driving accident than women. In 2023, 7,249 impaired male drivers lost their lives in drunk driving crashes, whereas 1,739 impaired female drivers died in similar incidents.

This represents a proportional decrease for both genders compared to 2022, with male fatalities decreasing by 7.7% and female fatalities decreasing by 6.4%. However, the underlying behavioral patterns that drive this gender disparity persist, suggesting that targeted intervention strategies focusing on high-risk demographics remain crucial.

States with the most drunk driving

Montana recorded the highest DUI severity score at 82.7 out of 100 in 2023. The state registered 8.08 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers and 458.24 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, with alcohol-impaired crashes accounting for 34.1% of all road fatalities.

The top 10 states with the highest DUI severity scores in 2023:

1. Montana (82.7) – 8.08 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 458.24 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 34.1% of total fatalities, no change from 2022
2. South Dakota (81.4) – 5.52 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 875.85 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 27.1% of total fatalities, 13.64% decrease from 2022
3. Wyoming (79.1) – 8.16 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 743.21 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 25.0% of total fatalities, 10.00% decrease from 2022
4. North Dakota (76.6) – 6.54 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 801.32 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 35.9% of total fatalities, 11.76% increase from 2022
5. Texas (63.9) – 8.87 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 316.94 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 39.6% of total fatalities, 9.10% decrease from 2022
6. Maine (64.8) – 3.47 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 427.09 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 27.4% of total fatalities, 40.32% decrease from 2022
7. Wisconsin (61.7) – 4.13 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 459.81 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 31.2% of total fatalities, 6.43% increase from 2022
8. Oregon (61.3) – 6.36 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 422.80 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 34.1% of total fatalities, 13.79% decrease from 2022
9. Missouri (59.5) – 6.57 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 424.85 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 28.6% of total fatalities, 2.41% decrease from 2022
10. New Mexico (59.1) – 7.72 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 351.97 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 27.2% of total fatalities, 21.71% decrease from 2022

States with the least drunk driving

The District of Columbia recorded the lowest DUI severity score at 16.5 out of 100 in 2023. The District registered 2.69 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers and 83.46 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, with alcohol-impaired crashes accounting for 31.8% of all road fatalities.

The top 10 states with the lowest DUI severity scores in 2023:

1. District of Columbia (16.5) – 2.69 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 83.46 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 31.8% of total fatalities, 16.67% increase from 2022
2. Delaware (27.2) – 4.40 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 34.08 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 28.9% of total fatalities, 20.41% decrease from 2022
3. Massachusetts (33.1) – 2.38 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 167.57 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 33.8% of total fatalities, 5.69% decrease from 2022
4. Alabama (33.5) – 6.92 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 198.64 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 29.1% of total fatalities, 0.71% increase from 2022
5. New York (33.6) – 2.64 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 206.21 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 29.2% of total fatalities, 12.40% decrease from 2022
6. New Jersey (33.7) – 2.07 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 206.69 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 23.4% of total fatalities, 19.77% decrease from 2022
7. Utah (34.3) – 2.57 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 404.56 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 21.1% of total fatalities, 16.90% decrease from 2022
8. Hawaii (36.6) – 4.13 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 332.43 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 41.9% of total fatalities, 5.41% increase from 2022
9. Pennsylvania (39.6) – 3.51 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 447.29 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 26.5% of total fatalities, 5.03% decrease from 2022
10. Georgia (40.3) – 5.63 DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers, 272.74 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, 26.8% of total fatalities, 14.60% decrease from 2022

Key Findings and Notable Trends

Most Significant Improvements

Several states showed remarkable progress in reducing DUI incidents:

• Maine: 40.3% decrease in DUI fatalities (from 62 to 37)
• Vermont: 30.8% decrease in DUI fatalities (from 26 to 18)
• New Hampshire: 30.8% decrease in DUI fatalities (from 52 to 36)
• New Mexico: 21.7% decrease in DUI fatalities despite ongoing challenges

States with Concerning Trends

While the national trend improved, some states showed increases:

• Iowa: 21.6% increase in DUI fatalities (from 116 to 141)
• Washington: 14.8% increase in DUI fatalities (from 256 to 294)
• Kansas: 14.7% increase in DUI fatalities (from 109 to 125)
• Kentucky: 12.5% increase in DUI fatalities (from 176 to 198)

Age-Related Patterns

The 2023 data reveals interesting age-related trends in impaired driving fatalities:

• Highest risk group: Ages 25-34 continue to represent the largest percentage of impaired drivers in fatal crashes (26.3%)
• Concerning increase: Ages 16-20 showed an increase to 20.1% from previous years

Older adults: Ages 65+ maintained relatively stable, lower percentages

The complete list of drunk driving statistics by state

Below is a complete list of drunk driving statistics by state. Each state is ranked according to its Severity Score. We have also added the percentage increase in DUI fatalities compared to the previous year, but this metric does not impact the Severity Score.

Methodology

Alcohol-impaired crash data was found through the NHTSA crash data tool, the Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST), and NSC injury data.

We calculated the DUI Severity Score by first creating a normalized score out of ten on the factors “DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers”, “DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers”, and the “DUI road fatality ratio,” and then taking a final average score across all factors to discover the overall score for each state.

Previous DUI reports

You can view the full 2020 DUI Report following this link.

You can view the full 2021 DUI Report following this link.

You can view the full 2022 DUI Report following this link.