---
title: "How Many People Die From Drunk Driving In America? + Stats!"
canonical: "https://www.simplyinsurance.com/how-many-people-die-from-drunk-driving/"
description: "The numbers don't lie when it comes to how many people die from drunk driving. In fact, drunk drivers kill over 15,000 people each year in the United States."
silo: "business"
published: "2026-05-31"
updated: "2026-05-31"
author: "sa-el"
source: "Simply Insurance"
---
The numbers don’t lie when it comes to **how many people die from drunk driving**.  In fact, drunk drivers **kill over 15,000 people each year** in the United States.

If you consider that more than [32 million individuals drive uninsured](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/how-many-people-drive-without-insurance/) in the United States and that [90% of motorists intend to use their phones while driving](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/how-many-people-die-from-texting-and-driving-statistics/), it’s easy to see why many people would avoid driving.

In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the **statistics surrounding drunk driving accidents and deaths** in America!

## **Top Drunk Driving Statistics:**

- Every year, **more than 15,000 people are killed** as a result of drunk driving.

- Every day, an average of **30 individuals die in drunk driving** incidents.

- Someone is **killed in a drunk driving accident every 50** minutes.

- The age group with the **greatest proportion of drunk drivers is 21-24** years old.

- In the U.S., **25% of traffic-related deaths** are caused by driving under the influence (DUI).

- There were **1 million DUI convictions in the United States** among driving-related offenses.

- Every **two minutes**, someone is hurt in a drunk driving accident.

- Your car insurance rates may rise by **67% as a result of a DUI conviction** In America.

## **Number Of Drunk Driving Deaths Per Year**

### **How Many People Die From Drunk Driving Each Year?**

More than 15,000 people are killed by drunk drivers in the United States each year.

### How Many People Are Killed By Drunk Drivers Each Day?

Every day, on average, 30 people die in drunk driving incidents.

### How Often Is Someone Killed In The US By A Drunk Driver?

Someone is killed in the United States by a drunk driver every 50 minutes.

### What Percentage Of Highway Deaths Are Alcohol Related?

According to the CDC, 25% of traffic-related fatalities are alcohol-related.

### How Many Alcohol Related Driving Fatalities Occur During Holidays?

From 2010 to 2018, more than 6,000 fatal crashes in the United States were caused by drunk drivers, or 667 per year on average. More than 6,700 people have been killed in these holiday collisions during the same time period.=

### **Which States Have The Highest DUI Fatalities?**

**Texas has the highest number of DUI Fatalities at 1,439**, followed by California (1,069), Florida (814), North Carolina (421), and Georgia (375). However, the state of California did see almost a 7% decrease in DUI fatalities from the prior year.

### **Which States Have The Lowest DUI Automobile Fatalities?**

**Vermont has the lowest number of DUI Fatalities at just 15**, followed by Rhode Island (20), Delaware (28), Alaska (29), and North Dakota(29). However, the state of Rhode Island did saw almost a **42% decrease in DUI fatalities** from the prior year.

### **DUI Automobile Fatalities By State**

STATE | DUI FATALATIES
--- | ---
Alabama | 246
Alaska | 29
Arizona | 285
Arkansas | 134
California | 1069
Colorado | 188
Connecticut | 115
Delaware | 28
Florida | 814
Georgia | 375
Hawaii | 35
Idaho | 58
Illinois | 309
Indiana | 227
Iowa | 85
Kansas | 88
Kentucky | 137
Louisiana | 216
Maine | 42
Maryland | 122
Massachusetts | 120
Michigan | 267
Minnesota | 105
Mississippi | 163
Missouri | 240
Montana | 79
Nebraska | 66
Nevada | 87
New Hampshire | 48
New Jersey | 125
New Mexico | 108
New York | 307
North Carolina | 421
North Dakota | 29
Ohio | 294
Oklahoma | 145
Oregon | 153
Pennsylvania | 334
Rhode Island | 20
South Carolina | 291
South Dakota | 45
Tennessee | 243
Texas | 1439
Utah | 61
Vermont | 15
Virginia | 240
Washington | 166
West Virginia | 57
Wisconsin | 199
Wyoming | 34

## U.S. Drunk Driving Injury Statistics

### **How Often Does A Drunk Driving Crash Happen?**

Every two minutes, a person is injured in a drunk driving accident.

### **How Many People Get Injured Per Year By Drunk Driving?**

Every year, over 300,000 individuals are injured as a result of drunk driving.

## Drunk Driving & DUI Arrest Statistics

### **How Many People Get Arrested For Driving Under The Influence?**

An estimated 1 million Americans are arrested for driving while intoxicated.

### **How does a DUI violation affect your car insurance premiums?**

A DUI conviction may result in an insurance rate increase of 67 percent on average.

### **Does Life Insurance Cover Alcohol Related Deaths?**

Yes, alcohol-related deaths are covered by life insurance. However, if your policy has a clause excluding incidents linked to alcohol, that’s somewhat different. As a result, if you have the provision on your insurance that states deaths connected to alcohol aren’t covered (and you would know this before purchasing the coverage) and die while intoxicated for any reason, your claim will be denied under this limitation.

### **Number Of DUI Arrests By State**

STATE | DUI ARRESTS
--- | ---
Alabama | 6,391
Alaska | 3,148
Arizona | 19,200
Arkansas | 5,761
California | 127,250
Colorado | 20,353
Connecticut | 7,484
Delaware | 427
Florida | 32,127
Georgia | 23,449
Hawaii | 4,288
Idaho | 5,689
Illinois | 2,825
Indiana | 11,890
Iowa | 10,082
Kansas | 4,554
Kentucky | 14,812
Louisiana | 5,650
Maine | 5,811
Maryland | 18,150
Massachusetts | 8,280
Michigan | 26,130
Minnesota | 20,186
Mississippi | 5,370
Missouri | 11,874
Montana | 3,794
Nebraska | 4,630
Nevada | 10,984
New Hampshire | 5,053
New Jersey | 17,230
New Mexico | 6,464
New York | 25,094
North Carolina | 27,915
North Dakota | 5,136
Ohio | 13,723
Oklahoma | 8,660
Oregon | 13,707
Pennsylvania | 43,798
Rhode Island | 2,423
South Carolina | 15,188
South Dakota | 5,891
Tennessee | 19,108
Texas | 69,643
Utah | 7,119
Vermont | 2,576
Virginia | 20,885
Washington | 27,632
West Virginia | 3,141
Wisconsin | 24,368
Wyoming | 3,432

## Drunk Driving Statistics By Age, Gender, & Demographics

### **Who Drives Drunk More Often, Men Or Women?**

Males are still more likely to drink and drive, but women are swiftly closing the gap.

### **What Is The Average Age Of Drunk Drivers?**

The average age of drunk drivers is typically 21 to 24 years old.

## Concluding Thoughts

### **Taking Action**

It’s not just the number of drunk driving deaths per year that are concerning, but also how often these accidents occur. These statistics show us that if you or someone in your family drinks and drives, there is a possibility they could be involved in an accident.

Make sure you have [adequate car insurance](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/compare-small-business-insurance-quotes-online/) to protect yourself from any financial loss should something happen while operating your vehicle under the influence. Along with texting and driving, driving drunk is extremely dangerous and 100% avoidable.

Hopefully these drunk driving statistics and facts will make you more mindful before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle drunk.

**Sources:**

The Zebra | [Bankrate](https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/drunk-driving/) | [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/drunk-driving-statistics/) | [NHTSA](https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving) |