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Drunk Driving Statistics (2026)

By the FindMyAccidentLawyer Data Team · Updated October 19, 2026 · 27 sourced statistics · CSV · JSON · Cite this page

In 2024, 11,904 people died in U.S. crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver, according to NHTSA. That was 30 percent of all traffic deaths. On average, one person died in an alcohol-impaired-driving crash every 44 minutes in 2024. NHTSA counts a driver as impaired at a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher.

The numbers at a glance

  • 11,904In 2024, 11,904 people were killed in U.S. crashes involving at least one alcohol-impaired driver (BAC of .08 g/dL or higher). Source
  • 30%Alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 30 percent of all U.S. traffic deaths in 2024. Source
  • 44On average, one person died in an alcohol-impaired-driving crash in the U.S. every 44 minutes in 2024. Source
  • -3.9%Deaths in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes fell 3.9 percent, from 12,382 in 2023 to 11,904 in 2024. Source
  • 7,247Of the 11,904 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in 2024, 7,247 (61 percent) were the alcohol-impaired drivers themselves. Source
  • 8,097In 2024, 8,097 of the 11,904 alcohol-impaired-driving deaths (68 percent) occurred in crashes where at least one driver had a BAC of .15 g/dL or higher. Source
  • 31%In 2024, 31 percent of drivers in fatal crashes at night were alcohol-impaired, compared with 10 percent during the day. Source
  • 1,676Texas had the most alcohol-impaired-driving deaths of any state in 2024 with 1,676, followed by California (1,311) and Florida (769). Source

How many people die in drunk driving crashes?

NHTSA and CDC count these deaths for different years, so their totals differ. NHTSA's 2024 count is the most recent. For the wider national picture, see our car accident statistics overview.

Who dies in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes?

Most of the people killed were the impaired drivers themselves. The rest were passengers, occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. NHTSA also tracks child deaths on their own.

Which drivers are most often alcohol-impaired in fatal crashes?

NHTSA measures the share of drivers in fatal crashes who were impaired, split by age, sex and vehicle type. Motorcycle riders appear in these numbers too. Our motorcycle accident statistics page covers them in more depth.

How high are blood alcohol levels in these crashes?

BAC means blood alcohol concentration, measured in grams per deciliter. Two thresholds show up in NHTSA's data: .08, the line NHTSA uses to label a driver impaired, and .15.

When and how do these crashes happen?

Impairment shows up more often at night, on weekends and in single-vehicle crashes. NHTSA defines nighttime as 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.

Which states have the most drunk driving deaths?

Texas has the highest raw count, but population changes the ranking. A state table follows this section. For local detail, start with Texas.

What do alcohol-impaired-driving crashes cost?

NHTSA's latest cost study uses 2019 data and counts alcohol two ways. The narrow version uses a BAC of .08 or higher. The broad version counts any alcohol involvement. For what happens after a crash, see our settlement statistics.

How common are impaired driving and drug use?

Crash records only capture what police and labs record. A NHTSA trauma study and a CDC survey summary add context. Neither one is a national crash count.

  • 55.8%2021

    In a NHTSA study of 7,279 seriously or fatally injured road users at seven trauma centers and four medical examiner sites (data collected 2019 to 2021), 55.8 percent tested positive for at least one drug, including alcohol.

    Source: NHTSA, Alcohol and Drug Prevalence Among Seriously or Fatally Injured Road Users

  • 25.1%2021

    In a NHTSA study of seriously or fatally injured road users at seven trauma centers and four medical examiner sites (data collected 2019 to 2021), cannabinoids (active THC) were found in 25.1 percent, alcohol in 23.1 percent, stimulants in 10.8 percent and opioids in 9.3 percent.

    Source: NHTSA, Alcohol and Drug Prevalence Among Seriously or Fatally Injured Road Users

  • 15,500,000people2023

    About 15.5 million U.S. residents ages 16 and older reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year, per the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, as cited by CDC.

    Source: CDC, Impaired Driving Facts

Which states have the most alcohol-impaired-driving deaths?

The 15 states with the most alcohol-impaired-driving deaths in 2024, with the rate per 100,000 residents. All 50 states and D.C. are on the state-by-state page.

alcohol-impaired-driving deaths by state, 2024
#State2024 countPer 100,000 people
1Texas1,6765.36
2California1,3113.32
3Florida7693.29
4North Carolina4494.06
5Ohio4243.57
6Arizona4195.53
7South Carolina4177.61
8Illinois3382.66
9Tennessee3324.59
10Georgia3252.91
11Michigan3063.02
12New York3001.51
13Pennsylvania2902.22
14Alabama2775.37
15Missouri2624.20

Source: FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of the NHTSA FARS 2024 data file (Annual Report File) and U.S. Census Bureau 2024 population estimates.

Frequently asked questions

How many people die in drunk driving crashes in the U.S.?

NHTSA counted 11,904 deaths in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in 2024. CDC reported 13,524 deaths for 2022, or 32 percent of traffic deaths that year. The two numbers cover different years, and NHTSA's is the newer one.

Does "alcohol-impaired" mean alcohol caused the crash?

No. NHTSA uses the term for crashes where a driver had a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher. It does not say alcohol caused the crash. NHTSA also imputes BAC when a test result is missing.

How often does someone die in a drunk driving crash?

NHTSA says one person died in an alcohol-impaired-driving crash every 44 minutes on average in 2024. CDC puts its own figure at 37 people killed every day.

Are drunk driving deaths going down?

In 2024, NHTSA counted 11,904 deaths, down 3.9 percent from 12,382 in 2023. All traffic deaths fell 4.3 percent over the same span, from 41,025 to 39,254. The alcohol-impaired death rate was 0.36 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down from 0.38.

Who is killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes?

According to NHTSA, 7,247 of the 11,904 people killed in 2024 (61 percent) were the impaired drivers. Another 1,858 were occupants of other vehicles. A further 1,316 were pedestrians, cyclists and other nonoccupants.

How many children die in drunk driving crashes?

NHTSA estimates 221 of the 1,032 children ages 14 and younger killed in U.S. crashes in 2024 died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. That is 21 percent. Of those 221, 117 were passengers in a vehicle with an impaired driver.

Which age group has the most impaired drivers in fatal crashes?

Drivers ages 21 to 24, at 28 percent in 2024, according to NHTSA. That figure is the share of drivers in that age group involved in fatal crashes who were alcohol-impaired. It is not a count of deaths.

Are men or women more likely to be impaired in fatal crashes?

NHTSA data for 2024 show 22 percent of male drivers in fatal crashes were alcohol-impaired, versus 16 percent of female drivers. Among vehicle types, motorcycle riders and passenger car drivers were both at 25 percent. Large-truck drivers were lowest at 4 percent.

How high is the BAC of drivers in fatal crashes?

NHTSA looked at 13,500 drivers in fatal crashes in 2024 who had alcohol in their systems. Of those, 84 percent (11,367) were at or above .08 g/dL and 56 percent (7,547) were at or above .15. The most frequently recorded BAC was .15.

When are drunk driving crashes most likely?

NHTSA reports 31 percent of drivers in fatal crashes at night were alcohol-impaired, versus 10 percent in the daytime. On weekends the share was 28 percent, versus 15 percent on weekdays. Also, 69 percent of impaired drivers in fatal crashes were in crashes that happened in the dark.

Which state has the most drunk driving deaths?

Texas had the most alcohol-impaired-driving deaths in 2024 at 1,676, followed by California (1,311) and Florida (769), according to NHTSA. By share of traffic deaths, Vermont was highest at 41 percent and Alaska lowest at 19 percent. Per person, South Carolina had the highest rate at 7.61 per 100,000 people, by our calculation from NHTSA FARS data.

How much do drunk driving crashes cost?

NHTSA estimated that crashes involving a driver or nonoccupant with a BAC of .08 or higher caused $58 billion of the $340 billion in economic costs in 2019. Including quality-of-life valuation, the figure was $296 billion of $1.37 trillion. Under a broader definition of any alcohol involvement, NHTSA estimated 14,219 deaths and $68.9 billion.

How many people admit to driving under the influence?

CDC cites the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in which about 15.5 million U.S. residents ages 16 and older reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year. About 12.1 million (4.6 percent) reported doing so under cannabis. CDC also states an estimated 125 million episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among adults.

What drugs are found in injured road users?

In a NHTSA study of 7,279 seriously or fatally injured road users, 55.8 percent tested positive for at least one drug, including alcohol. Cannabinoids (active THC) were found in 25.1 percent, alcohol in 23.1 percent, stimulants in 10.8 percent and opioids in 9.3 percent. The sample is not nationally representative, and a positive test does not show impairment.

Are repeat offenders common in these crashes?

NHTSA found alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes in 2024 were 3 times as likely as sober drivers to have a prior DWI conviction. The shares were 6 percent versus 2 percent, based on the prior five-year driving record.

Can I use these statistics?

Yes. The statistics on this page are free to use under the Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license. Credit FindMyAccidentLawyer and link back to this page. The underlying figures come from the publishers named in each stat card.

Cite or link to this page

Free to use under CC BY 4.0. Please credit FindMyAccidentLawyer with a link. Updated October 19, 2026.

FindMyAccidentLawyer. (2026, October 19). Drunk Driving Statistics (2026). https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/drunk-driving

Methodology and sources

Most figures come from NHTSA's 2024 data on alcohol-impaired driving. NHTSA labels a driver alcohol-impaired at a BAC of .08 g/dL or higher and estimates BAC when tests are missing, so the label does not mean alcohol caused a crash. Cost figures are from 2019, the latest NHTSA cost year. CDC figures cover 2022 and 2023. The state rate is our calculation from the FARS 2024 Annual Report File and Census population estimates.

Every number on this page links to the official report it came from. We checked each figure against the source text before publishing, and we recheck the sources every month. The page date changes only when a number changes. Spotted an error? Email profile@findmyaccidentlawyer.com.

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