BAC Drunk Blog

Drunk Driving Death Facts

How Many People Die from Drunk Driving Each Year?

About 10,000 people die from drunk driving each year in America. That's about 28 deaths every day. One person dies every 70 minutes because of drunk driving. These numbers have gone down a lot since the 1980s, but drunk driving still kills too many people.

These statistics show why laws against drunk driving are so strict. If you want to understand how BAC calculators work or learn about jail time for drunk driving, it helps to know how serious this problem really is.

Remember
Every statistic represents a real person - someone's family member, friend, or loved one. These deaths could have been prevented.

Current Drunk Driving Statistics (2025)

Drunk Driving Deaths and Injuries

  • 10,142 deaths from drunk driving in 2022 (latest complete data)
  • 28 deaths per day on average
  • 1 death every 70 minutes from drunk driving
  • 28% of all traffic deaths involve drunk drivers
  • Over 290,000 people injured in alcohol-related crashes each year

Drunk Driving Costs to Society

  • $123 billion per year in costs from drunk driving
  • $13,000 per person (average) in the US paid per person for drunk driving costs (Medical bills, property damage, legal costs, etc.)

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Who Dies from Drunk Driving?

Drunk Driving Deaths by Age Group

  • Ages 21-24: Highest death rate (31% of drunk driving deaths)
  • Ages 25-34: Second highest (29% of deaths)
  • Ages 35-44: 20% of deaths
  • Ages 16-20: 8% of deaths (even though drinking is illegal)
  • Ages 65+: 6% of deaths

Drunk Driving Deaths by Gender

  • Men: 78% of drunk driving deaths
  • Women: 22% of drunk driving deaths

Men are 4 times more likely to drive drunk than women.

Who Gets Killed by Drunk Driving?

  • 67% are the drunk drivers themselves
  • 33% are innocent victims:
    • Passengers in the drunk driver's car
    • People in other cars
    • Pedestrians and bicyclists

Drunk Driving Deaths Over Time

  • 1982: 21,113 drunk driving deaths (48% of all traffic deaths)
  • 1990: 17,705 deaths (39% of traffic deaths)
  • 2000: 13,324 deaths (31% of traffic deaths)
  • 2010: 10,136 deaths (31% of traffic deaths)
  • 2022: 10,142 deaths (28% of traffic deaths)

For more info on see When Did Drunk Driving Become Illegal?

BAC Levels in Fatal Crashes

The higher the blood alcohol level, the more deadly crashes become:

  • 0.08-0.10% BAC: 15% of drunk driving deaths
  • 0.10-0.15% BAC: 32% of drunk driving deaths
  • 0.15%+ BAC: 53% of drunk driving deaths

Over half of drunk driving deaths happen when the driver is extremely drunk (0.15%+ BAC). This is almost twice the legal limit.

The Cost of Drunk Driving in the United States

Costs of Getting Caught Drunk Driving

Getting caught driving drunk costs a lot:

  • Fines: $500-$2,000+
  • Legal fees: $2,000-$5,000+
  • License reinstatement: $100+
  • Increased insurance: $1,000+ more per year
  • Ignition interlock device: $500-$1,500
  • Other costs: $900-$3,000+
  • Total first offense drunk driving costs: $5,000-$12,000+

This varies state to state.

Total Yearly Costs of Drunk Driving in the United States

  • Medical costs: $18.5 billion
  • Lost productivity: $49.8 billion
  • Property damage: $15.2 billion
  • Legal/court costs: $8.5 billion
  • Pain and suffering: $31 billion
  • Total: $123 billion per year

Most Dangerous Times for Drunk Driving Deaths

  • Fourth of July (July 4th)
  • Memorial Day weekend (last Monday in May)
  • Labor Day weekend (first Monday in September)
  • Thanksgiving weekend (fourth Thursday in November)
  • New Year's Eve/Day (December 31st and January 1st)
  • Weekends: Friday, Saturday, Sunday have 70% of drunk driving deaths
  • Every night: 9 PM to 6 AM
  • Peak time: 2 AM to 3 AM on weekends

Repeat Drunk Driving Offenders

  • 30% of drunk drivers are repeat offenders
  • 1.4 million people arrested for drunk driving each year
  • Average drunk driver drives drunk 87 times before being caught
  • 50-75% of people with suspended licenses keep driving anyway

Drunk Driving Deaths in the US vs Other Developed Countries

  • United States: 28% of traffic deaths involve alcohol
  • Canada: 25% of traffic deaths
  • United Kingdom: 13% of traffic deaths
  • Germany: 8% of traffic deaths
  • Japan: 3% of traffic deaths

The US has more drunk driving deaths than most other wealthy countries. This is partially because:

  • Americans drive more than people in other countries
  • Americans live in more spread-out cities
  • Other countries have a different drinking culture

What You Can Do to Prevent Drunk Driving Deaths?

How to Prevent Drunk Driving Deaths?

  • Plan ahead: Decide how you'll get home before drinking
  • Call for rides: Uber, Lyft, taxi, family, friends
  • Stay overnight: Sleep where you are if possible
  • Don't let friends drive drunk. Take their keys if necessary.
  • Use our calculator: Estimate your BAC to understand impairment
Every drunk driving death could have been prevented. Someone made a choice to drive after drinking, and someone died because of it.

Learn more about how many drinks it takes to get drunk and alcohol content in different drinks to make informed decisions.

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Sources

  1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "Traffic Safety Facts: Alcohol-Impaired Driving." NHTSA.gov, 2023.
  2. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). "Alcohol-Impaired Driving." IIHS.org, 2023.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Impaired Driving: Get the Facts." CDC.gov, 2023.
  4. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). "Statistics." MADD.org, 2023.