The holiday season is a time to be merry and spread cheer—but too much merriment can result in intoxicated drivers hitting the road. In fact, nearly 30% of fatal car accidents in November and December of 2021 involved a drunk driver.
In some states, drunk driving tends to be more common, putting drivers at greater risk when they get behind the wheel.
With the holiday season in full swing, Forbes Advisor conducted a sobering study to uncover the worst states for drunk driving. The website compared all 50 states across six key metrics and found that South Carolina ranks No. 8 among the worst states for drunk driving.
Top 5 Worst States for Drunk Driving:
Montana: Montana has the highest rate of both drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (8.57 per 100,000 licensed drivers) and people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver (7.14 per 100,000 state residents). Big Sky Country also ranks worst in the nation for drunk drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes (1.17 per 100,000 licensed drivers).
South Dakota: South Dakota has the highest number of DUI arrests (879.12 per 100,000 licensed drivers) and the eighth-highest rate of drunk drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes (0.57 per 100,000 licensed drivers).
Texas: Texas ranks second worst for both the share of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (8.30 per 100,000 licensed drivers) and the percentage of traffic deaths caused by drunk drivers (42.37%).
Wyoming: Wyoming has the second-highest rate of people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver (6.78 per 100,000 state residents) and the third-highest rate of DUI arrests (629.12 per 100,000 licensed drivers).
North Dakota: North Dakota has the second-highest rate of DUI arrests (832.50 per 100,000 licensed drivers) and the ninth-highest rate of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (6.11 per 100,000 licensed drivers).
Find the full report, including the methodology here.
