Key Takeaways
- In 2021, there were 13,384 people killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in the US, accounting for 31% of the overall traffic fatalities that year
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities increased by 16% from 2019 to 2020, rising from 10,142 to 11,654 deaths
- In 2022, 32% of all traffic deaths involved a drunk driver with BAC of 0.08 or higher, totaling over 13,500 lives lost
- Males aged 21-34 represent 30% of all DUI arrests nationwide
- In 2021, 78% of DUI arrestees were male
- Drivers under 21 account for 15% of all alcohol-related fatalities despite being 13% of drivers
- Drunk driving costs the US $249 billion annually including medical and productivity losses
- Average DUI crash costs $10,000 in property damage alone per incident
- Lifetime cost per alcohol-impaired crash death is $1.6 million
- First-time DUI conviction leads to average $13,000 in direct costs
- 90% of states have .08 BAC limit, with 1st offense average 6-month license suspension
- Repeat offenders face average 3-5 year license revocation nationwide
- In 2022, 13.5 million adults self-reported driving drunk in the past year
- 4.5 million people aged 21+ drove under the influence in 2022, per NSDUH survey
- About 1 in 6 adult drivers binge drink and drive at least once per year
In the US, alcohol-impaired driving killed over 13,000 people in 2022 and continues to rise.
Related reading
Crash and Fatality Statistics
Crash and Fatality Statistics Interpretation
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Demographic Breakdowns
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
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Enforcement and Legal Outcomes
Enforcement and Legal Outcomes Interpretation
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Prevalence Rates
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Driving While Intoxicated Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/driving-while-intoxicated-statistics
Catherine Wu. "Driving While Intoxicated Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/driving-while-intoxicated-statistics.
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Driving While Intoxicated Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/driving-while-intoxicated-statistics.
Sources & References
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nhtsa.gov
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crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov
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cdc.gov
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injuryfacts.nsc.org
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aaafoundation.org
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madd.org
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ghsa.org
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scdps.gov
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responsibility.org
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dps.texas.gov
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iihs.org
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samhsa.gov
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ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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dphhs.mt.gov
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publicaffairsresources.aaa.biz
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bts.gov
- Reference 17COLLEGEDRINKINGPREVENTIONcollegedrinkingprevention.gov
collegedrinkingprevention.gov
- Reference 18NEWSnews.gallup.com
news.gallup.com
- Reference 19UCRucr.fbi.gov
ucr.fbi.gov
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insuranceinstitute.org
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fmcsa.dot.gov
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ptsd.va.gov
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- Reference 27TRAFFICSAFETYMARKETINGtrafficsafetymarketing.gov
trafficsafetymarketing.gov
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dmv.org
- Reference 29FINDLAWfindlaw.com
findlaw.com
- Reference 30NCSLncsl.org
ncsl.org
- Reference 31OJPojp.gov
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