Drunk driving is still a major killer in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 34 people die in this country every day (one person every 42 minutes) due to alcohol-impaired driving.
In 2023, the total number was 13,429, accounting for around a third of all driving-related deaths. Yet these fatalities are not spread evenly across the country, or across all car brands, with some cities and brands subject to disproportionate drunk driving death numbers.
In this study, we’ll consider which car brands are involved in the most drunk driving incidents and citations across the country, and we’ll look at the states in which most of the offenses occur.
By arming policymakers and relevant authorities with the knowledge they need to proportionately confront specific drivers and problem areas, this study can help to forge positive national change.
So, which American cities have the biggest drunk driving problems?
The Main U.S. Drunk Driving Cities
Study data tells us that, of the 50 largest cities in the United States, Omaha currently has the highest rate of drunk driving. The city features 4.48 drunk driving citations per 1,000 drivers, a figure that far exceeds the 50-city average (1.90).
California cities also feature prominently in the top ten rankings: San Jose and Sacramento follow first-placed Omaha in second and third spots with respective drunk driving rates of 3.68 and 3.55 per 1,000 drivers.
Research suggests that climate and transportation factors heavily influence these statistics. A combination of warm, sociable weather (and consequent alcohol consumption) and a lack of adequate transportation options may encourage irresponsible drivers to take the wheel. Additionally, high drunk driving citation rates may in part be due to a city’s strict enforcement of drunk driving laws.
Top Ten Large U.S. Cities For Drunk Driving (numbers represent number of drunk driving citations per 1,000 drivers)
| Rank | City | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omaha, NE | 4.48 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | 3.68 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | 3.55 |
| 4 | Virginia Beach, VA | 3.46 |
| 5 | Fresno, CA | 3.31 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | 3.30 |
| 7 | Long Beach, CA | 2.83 |
| 8 | Bakersfield, CA | 2.78 |
| 9 | Oakland, CA | 2.76 |
| 10 | New York, NY | 2.73 |
At the other end of the spectrum, here are the cities with the fewest drunk driving citations per 1,000 drivers.
Top Ten Cities For Least Number Of Drunk Driving Citations
| Rank | City | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | 0.45 |
| 2 | Tulsa, OK | 0.65 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | 0.66 |
| 3 | Memphis, TN | 0.66 |
| 3 | Miami, FL | 0.66 |
| 6 | Detroit, MI | 0.81 |
| 7 | San Antonio, TX | 1.01 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | 1.02 |
| 9 | Arlington, TX | 1.03 |
| 10 | Dallas, TX | 1.03 |
The following table lists the 50 largest U.S. cities by their drunk driving citation rate, per 1,000 drivers.
Citations for drunk driving are clearly a serious matter. But when it comes to ranking the worst U.S. cities for drunk driving, we also need to consider the cities that feature the highest number of fatal drunk driving crashes.
By this measure, El Paso is the most dangerous of all U.S. locations: the Texan city features the highest percentage of fatal drunk driving crashes (60.8%), a figure significantly higher than the average rate across 50 analyzed cities, which is 37.6%.
Five of the 10 cities that feature the highest percentage of fatal drunk driving crashes are in Texas: as well as El Paso (60.8%), the top five include Fort Worth (51.9%), Houston (49.3%), Dallas (48.5%), and Arlington (46.3%).
Perhaps surprisingly, California, so prominently placed in the drunk driving citations list, does not make the top 10 list for fatal drunk driving crashes.
Top 10 Cities for Fatal Drunk Driving Crashes (DD = drunk driver)
| Rank | City | Fatal DD Crashes | DD % of All Fatal Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Paso, TX | 45 | 60.8% |
| 2 | Omaha, NE | 20 | 60.6% |
| 3 | Portland, OR | 35 | 54.7% |
| 4 | Fort Worth, TX | 56 | 51.9% |
| 5 | Houston, TX | 137 | 49.3% |
| 6 | Dallas, TX | 96 | 48.5% |
| 7 | Arlington, TX | 19 | 46.3% |
| 8 | Virginia Beach, VA | 17 | 45.9% |
| 9 | Charlotte, NC | 38 | 45.2% |
| 10 | Washington, DC | 17 | 43.6% |
Alternatively, the three cities with the lowest percentage of fatal crashes involving drunken drivers are Milwaukee (22.9%), Miami (23.9%), and Tampa, Fla. (24.5%), with New York well placed in seventh spot (30.5%).
Here are those and other entrants for low fatal drunk driving percentages.
Top 10 Cities For Least Fatal Drunk Driving Crashes
| Rank | City | Fatal DD Crashes | DD % of All Fatal Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee, WI | 16 | 22.9% |
| 2 | Miami, FL | 16 | 23.9% |
| 3 | Tampa, FL | 12 | 24.5% |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | 35 | 27.3% |
| 5 | Albuquerque, NM | 29 | 27.4% |
| 6 | Atlanta, GA | 24 | 30.0% |
| 7 | New York, NY | 67 | 30.5% |
| 8 | Oakland, CA | 9 | 31.0% |
| 9 | Tulsa, OK | 22 | 31.0% |
| 10 | Jacksonville, FL | 47 | 31.1% |
As you’d expect, many different car brands were involved in the drunk driving incidents in question. But which brands were most involved in drunk driving citations?
Here are the ten brands with the highest drunk driving rates: interestingly, four of the top five places are made up of luxury brands.
Top Ten Car Brands Subject to the Most Drunk Driving Citations
| Rank | Car Brand | Violations per 1,000 Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMW | 3.09 |
| 2 | RAM | 3.00 |
| 3 | Acura | 2.69 |
| 4 | Audi | 2.42 |
| 4 | Volvo | 2.42 |
| 6 | Subaru | 2.40 |
| 7 | Cadillac | 2.34 |
| 8 | GMC | 2.15 |
| 9 | Jeep | 2.10 |
| 10 | Ford | 2.09 |
And the following ten brands are those least involved in drunk driving incidents.
Top Ten Car Brands Subject To The Fewest Drunk Driving Citations
| Rank | Car Brand | Violations per 1,000 Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercury | 0.86 |
| 2 | Land Rover | 1.16 |
| 2 | Lincoln | 1.16 |
| 4 | Pontiac | 1.22 |
| 5 | Buick | 1.32 |
| 6 | Chrysler | 1.42 |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz | 1.43 |
| 8 | Infiniti | 1.48 |
| 9 | Hyundai | 1.61 |
| 10 | Kia | 1.70 |
Although a significant number of luxury brands rank among those subject to the highest drunk driving citation figures, the presence of Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover in the latter table shows that the issue is far from clear-cut. That said, a University of California, Berkeley study augments a potential link between bad driving habits and luxury cars.
The Luxury Brand Factor
The study, overseen by the university’s Paul K. Piff, closely considers driver behavior, in particular what happens when cars approach pedestrian crosswalks, and how often drivers stop while people cross.
The results: although 8 out of every 10 cars stopped, drivers of luxury vehicles were less considerate towards pedestrians. “The most significant trend was that fancy cars were less likely to stop, and BMW drivers were the worst,” according to Piff.
That’s another clear signal that drivers of expensive cars represent a problematic driving demographic. Another is provided by additional study data that considers a broad national cross-section of driving incidents: accidents, drunk driving, speeding, and overall citations (between Jan 1, 2024, and Dec 31, 2024). By this combined measure, Tesla drivers are the worst in the United States.
Our analysis shows us that in 2024, Teslas were involved in 36.94 incidents per 1,000 drivers (up significantly from 31.13 in 2023). The RAM (33.92) is in second place, with the Subaru (32.85) in third-worst.
By considering those figures on a state-by-state basis, the RAM pushes Tesla into second place, and has the worst drivers in 16 states (Tesla drivers are the worst in 9 states). Ultimately, RAM drivers had the highest incident rates across 30 car brands in nearly a third of U.S. states, and the worst statistical return of all in New Jersey, in which RAM drivers were involved in 74.2 incidents per 1,000 drivers.
This list shows each car brand alongside the count of states where it ranks number one for having the highest driver incident rate.
| Car Brand | Number of States Most Involved in Incidents |
|---|---|
| RAM | 16 |
| Tesla | 9 |
| Subaru | 6 |
| Volkswagen | 5 |
| Honda | 2 |
| Volvo | 2 |
| Infiniti | 2 |
| Audi | 2 |
| BMW | 1 |
| Mitsubishi | 1 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 1 |
| Land Rover | 1 |
| Hyundai | 1 |
| Lincoln | 1 |
| GMC | 1 |
The following interactive map shows which car brand had the highest drunk driving incident rate per U.S. state during 2024. Each state’s color indicates its leading DUI car brand (with each car brand designated its own specific color in the list above).
Conversely, by these measures, Mercury, Pontiac, and Cadillac drivers are the best.
Mercury drivers were involved in just 18.63 incidents per 1,000 drivers, around half the Tesla driver rate. Pontiac (19.72) and Cadillac (20.75) also posted impressive driver figures.
The Road Ahead
So, it’s clear that, for different reasons, Nebraskan, Texan, and Californian roads in particular are drunk driving citation/fatality hotspots. Texas experiences a high number of drunk driving fatalities due to a combination of factors.
These include its sprawling population, extensive roadways, pervasive drinking culture, and a comparative lack of comprehensive alcohol-related laws and effective law enforcement compared to some other states. There’s also the matter of comparative vehicle size and weight, with plenty of trucks and heavy-duty vehicles on the road (the RAM is the perfect example), and a greater emphasis on individual freedom.
In the case of California, its combination of an excellent climate (and a disproportionate socializing culture) and a distinct lack of public transportation options, to a large extent, explains its prominent drunk driving placement. While its driving laws are strict, enforcement doesn’t appear to represent much of a deterrent.
The most significant trend was that ‘fancy’ cars were less likely to stop, and BMW drivers were the worst
When it comes to car brands, there are signs that a number of luxury vehicles are disproportionately involved in driving incidents, with BMW involved in most drunk driving citations and Tesla drivers involved in most driving incidents overall.
At the same time, the RAM – a powerful but relatively mainstream vehicle – is the vehicle involved in most overall driving incidents across far more states than any other vehicle. So it’s often a nuanced picture, dependent on location.
For road matters to improve, better enforcement is clearly needed in some areas. It’s also a driver’s choice to purchase a particular car brand.
Study data that reveals Tesla brand loyalty as the highest among drivers (67.8%) simply means that a large number of drivers cited as being regularly involved in driving incidents are unlikely to switch brands.
Ultimately, until drivers are sufficiently deterred from drunkenly getting behind the wheel in hotspot cities – possibly through targeted campaigns and more prohibitive penalties – those areas will continue to see high numbers of citations and crashes.
But drivers must also take far better ownership of their road conduct: getting behind the wheel while inebriated is ultimately a driver’s responsibility, and not down to any car brand or locale.
Here at Suzuki Law Criminal Defense and Injury Lawyers, we well understand the seriousness of drunk driving as we regularly help our clients deal with the consequences.
We can help you pursue a personal injury claim following a drunk driving incident, or, if you’re facing a DUI charge, guide you through the legal process and fight for your rights. Get in touch with us today for more information.