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The Highest Drunk Driving Fatality Rates in the United States [Interactive Map]

Which states have the highest fatality rate in the country? The map below compares drunk driving fatality rates per 100,000 population for each state in the United States, ranking them from highest to lowest. Using data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration for the 2018 year (the newest data available), we analyzed over 34,000 fatal crashes and looked only at crashes where alcohol was a factor. In total, nearly 25% of all fatal crashes in 2018 involved the use of alcohol.

In this interactive map below, you can hover over any state to see the corresponding drunk driving fatality rate, along with its current ranking from 1-51 (1 being the highest (worst) fatality rate and 51 being the lowest (best) rate).

2018 Alcohol-Involved Crash Fatality Rates by State

In 2018, Montana had the highest alcohol-involved crash fatality rate with 8.28 deaths per 100,000 people – a total of 88 fatalities as a result of crashes involving the use of alcohol. Wyoming ranks second with a rate of 6.06 fatalities per capita, while South Carolina follows closely behind with a rate of 5.74.

As far as the lowest rates in the nation? The District of Columbia is at the bottom, with just 0.77 fatalities per 100,000. This is followed by New York with a 1.11 rate, and New Jersey with 1.35 fatalities per capita.

State	Fatals 2018	Rate 2018	Fatals 2017	Rate 2017	Rate Change
MONTANA	88	8.28	72	6.78	22.22%
WYOMING	35	6.06	43	7.44	-18.60%
SOUTH CAROLINA	292	5.74	329	6.47	-11.25%
SOUTH DAKOTA	48	5.44	43	4.87	11.63%
NEW MEXICO	110	5.25	115	5.49	-4.35%
LOUISIANA	228	4.89	255	5.47	-10.59%
ARKANSAS	143	4.74	134	4.45	6.72%
ALABAMA	227	4.64	246	5.03	-7.72%
NORTH DAKOTA	33	4.34	51	6.71	-35.29%
ALASKA	32	4.34	22	2.98	45.45%
OKLAHOMA	159	4.03	171	4.34	-7.02%
MISSISSIPPI	120	4.02	132	4.42	-9.09%
WISCONSIN	226	3.89	230	3.96	-1.74%
MISSOURI	235	3.84	258	4.21	-8.91%
NORTH CAROLINA	394	3.79	400	3.85	-1.50%
KENTUCKY	167	3.74	204	4.57	-18.14%
COLORADO	211	3.70	211	3.70	0.00%
NEBRASKA	71	3.68	75	3.89	-5.33%
VERMONT	22	3.51	21	3.35	4.76%
NEW HAMPSHIRE	47	3.46	27	1.99	74.07%
IDAHO	59	3.36	71	4.05	-16.90%
WEST VIRGINIA	60	3.32	79	4.37	-24.05%
MAINE	42	3.14	50	3.74	-16.00%
TEXAS	910	3.12	1008	3.45	-9.72%
TENNESSEE	210	3.10	245	3.62	-14.29%
FLORIDA	652	3.06	705	3.31	-7.52%
OREGON	124	2.96	150	3.58	-17.33%
MICHIGAN	294	2.94	350	3.50	-16.00%
VIRGINIA	250	2.94	242	2.84	3.31%
DELAWARE	28	2.90	28	2.90	0.00%
ARIZONA	205	2.86	259	3.61	-20.85%
GEORGIA	296	2.81	319	3.03	-7.21%
OHIO	326	2.79	368	3.15	-11.41%
NEVADA	83	2.74	80	2.64	3.75%
IOWA	78	2.47	90	2.85	-13.33%
ILLINOIS	309	2.43	358	2.81	-13.69%
KANSAS	70	2.40	91	3.13	-23.08%
CALIFORNIA	920	2.31	1169	2.93	-21.30%
PENNSYLVANIA	291	2.27	281	2.19	3.56%
INDIANA	150	2.24	179	2.67	-16.20%
UTAH	70	2.21	63	1.99	11.11%
WASHINGTON	165	2.19	180	2.39	-8.33%
RHODE ISLAND	23	2.18	29	2.74	-20.69%
MARYLAND	131	2.17	172	2.85	-23.84%
MINNESOTA	119	2.12	107	1.91	11.21%
HAWAII	30	2.11	41	2.89	-26.83%
CONNECTICUT	68	1.90	109	3.05	-37.61%
MASSACHUSETTS	115	1.67	107	1.55	7.48%
NEW JERSEY	120	1.35	134	1.50	-10.45%
NEW YORK	217	1.11	188	0.96	15.43%
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	5	0.71	14	1.99	-64.29%

Year-Over-Year Changes in Alcohol-Involved Crash Fatality Rates

These rankings accurately reflect the result of year-over-year changes in alcohol-involved crash fatalities and their corresponding rates per capita. In 2017, Wyoming had the highest alcohol-involved crash fatality rate in the United States. However, a significant decrease in alcohol-involved crash fatalities led to an 18.60% decrease in rate, bumping it down to second place. The inverse occurred with Montana: an increase in alcohol-involved fatalities in 2018 led to a 22.22% increase in rate.

Overall, alcohol-involved crash fatality rates have, for the most part, decreased from that of the previous year: only 13 states reported an increase in rates from 2017 to 2018.

Notable positive changes to alcohol-involved crash fatality rate include:

Washington, D.C. – the largest rate decrease in the nation with a 64.29% decrease in alcohol-involved crash fatalities per capita.
Connecticut – a 37.61% decrease in alcohol-involved crash fatality rate
North Dakota – a 35.29% decrease
Hawaii – a 26.83% decrease

Notable negative changes to alcohol-involved crash fatality rate include:

New Hampshire – the largest rate increase in the nation, and the most dramatic change on the list, with a 74.07% increase. This increase in alcohol-involved crash fatalities is enough to take New Hampshire from the bottom ten in 2017 to 20th place in 2018.
Alaska – a year-over-year increase of 10 alcohol-involved crash fatalities resulted in a 45.45% increase in rate, the third highest change on the list.

Common Penalties for Drunk Driving

Due to the severity of the offense, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol always comes with a harsh set of penalties for offenders. Those who are caught driving while intoxicated may:

Pay a fine. Depending on the number of offenses and severity of the offense, those caught with a DUI can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $2,000 – and more if you are a repeat offender.
Receive jail time. A first-offense DUI is a misdemeanor that can come with up to six months in jail. This may increase in severity depending on repeat offenses or how high your BAC was at the time of the offense.
Have your driver’s license suspended or revoked. It’s customary to have your driver’s license suspended for a period of time following a DUI. Depending on the state and the circumstances, your license may be suspended for as little as 90 days or for as long as three years. In extreme circumstances, such as repeated offenses, your license may even be completely revoked.
Require an installation of an ignition interlock device. This device, installed in your vehicle, monitors your BAC before driving your vehicle. If you have consumed alcohol, you will be unable to start your car.
Experience dramatically increased insurance rates. Because drunk driving creates higher liability to a provider, it may cause your premiums to rise significantly.
Have other consequences. This can include court-mandated community service, alcohol prevention programs, and possible assessment of addiction problems. Additionally, having a DUI on your record may even disqualify you from certain forms of employment which require a clean driving record.

Much of these laws and subsequent consequences serve to emphasize the fact that driving while intoxicated is an incredibly dangerous action that can come with severe, life-altering consequences. Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys are ready to help you recover.

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