DUI arrests are not just a public safety headline, they are a measurable pattern with consequences that add up fast. Alcohol-impaired crashes accounted for 32% of all traffic deaths in 2022, while the broader cost of DUI incidents tops $300 billion each year. From nighttime peaks to repeat offender trends and state by state arrest swings, these statistics reveal how unevenly risk and enforcement show up across the US.
Key Takeaways
- Alcohol-impaired crashes caused 32% of all traffic deaths in 2022, up from 28% in 2019
- DUI-related crashes cost $300 billion annually in medical, lost productivity, and property damage
- 25% of child passenger fatalities involve alcohol-impaired drivers
- Ages 21-24 represent 15% of all DUI arrests despite being 9% of licensed drivers
- Drivers aged 25-34 account for 22% of DUI arrests, with 198,000 cases in 2021
- Males aged 18-24 have a DUI arrest rate 4 times higher than females in the same group
- In 2022, law enforcement made 893,480 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol across the United States
- From 2012 to 2021, DUI arrests nationwide decreased by 25%, from 1.2 million to 893,480 annually
- Alcohol-impaired driving arrests accounted for 1% of all arrests in the US in 2021, totaling 908,000 cases
- California reported 110,000 DUI arrests in 2022, the highest in the nation
- Texas had 78,000 DUI arrests in 2021, with Dallas County alone accounting for 12,500
- Florida's DUI arrests totaled 65,200 in 2022, up 5% from 2021 due to increased enforcement
- DUI arrests increased 15% during holiday seasons (Dec-Jan) from 2017-2022 average
- Nighttime arrests (8 PM-4 AM) comprise 65% of all DUI arrests yearly
- Summer months (Jun-Aug) see 10% more DUI arrests than winter due to travel
Alcohol impaired driving drove 32% of 2022 traffic deaths and still costs about $300 billion yearly.
Related reading
02 · Category
Demographic Breakdowns24 stats
01
Ages 21-24 represent 15% of all DUI arrests despite being 9% of licensed drivers
02
Drivers aged 25-34 account for 22% of DUI arrests, with 198,000 cases in 2021
03
Males aged 18-24 have a DUI arrest rate 4 times higher than females in the same group
04
Hispanic drivers comprised 18% of DUI arrests in 2021, proportional to population but higher in urban areas
05
African American drivers made up 12% of DUI arrests while being 13% of population in 2021
06
Rural residents have a 20% higher DUI arrest rate per capita than urban dwellers
07
Repeat DUI offenders (2+ arrests) number 250,000 annually, 28% of total arrests
08
Occupational groups like food service workers have DUI rates 3x the national average
09
Veterans experience DUI arrest rates 50% higher than civilians
10
Low-income drivers (<$25k/year) represent 35% of DUI arrests
11
Ages 35-44 make up 25% of DUI arrests, 225,000 cases in 2021
12
Females DUI arrests doubled from 100,000 in 2000 to 200,000 in 2021
13
White drivers 70% of DUI arrests, aligning with 60% population share
14
Asian drivers lowest DUI rate at 2% of arrests vs 6% population
15
Native American per capita DUI arrest rate 3x national average
16
Urban areas account for 60% of DUI arrests despite 80% population
17
College students have 2x DUI rate of non-students aged 18-24
18
Bartenders and servers 4x higher DUI conviction rates
19
Unemployed individuals 2.5x more likely to be arrested for DUI
20
Drivers over 65 have DUI arrest rates 40% below average
21
LGBTQ+ individuals report 1.5x higher DUI incidence
22
Immigrants have 20% lower DUI rates than native-born
23
Married drivers 30% less likely to be arrested for DUI
24
High school dropouts 3x DUI risk vs graduates
Interpretation
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
The youthful exuberance of 21-24 year olds disproportionately fuels DUI arrests, yet the real scourge is a recurring cast of middle-aged, often male, and occupationally stressed repeat offenders, painting a grim portrait of a national habit where your job, your income, and your willingness to quit learning are stronger predictors of a bad night than your zip code.
03 · Category
National Arrest Statistics15 stats
01
In 2022, law enforcement made 893,480 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol across the United States
02
From 2012 to 2021, DUI arrests nationwide decreased by 25%, from 1.2 million to 893,480 annually
03
Alcohol-impaired driving arrests accounted for 1% of all arrests in the US in 2021, totaling 908,000 cases
04
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, DUI arrests dropped 20% to 723,000 from 908,000 in 2019 due to reduced traffic
05
NHTSA estimates 10,850 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2022, with 37% of total traffic fatalities involving DUI
06
Every 39 minutes, someone in the US dies in an alcohol-impaired driving crash, leading to over 13,000 annual DUI-related fatalities
07
Males accounted for 80% of all DUI arrests in 2021, with 726,400 male arrests versus 181,600 female
08
The average BAC at arrest for DUI offenders nationwide is 0.16%, twice the legal limit of 0.08%
09
DUI arrests peak between midnight and 3 AM on weekends, comprising 55% of all weekly DUI arrests
10
In 2021, 28% of all traffic fatalities involved a drunk driver with BAC over 0.08%
11
In 2022, law enforcement conducted 1.1 million sobriety checkpoints, yielding 50,000 DUI arrests
12
FBI data shows 1,015,000 total arrests for driving under the influence in 2019
13
Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports 10,000 alcohol-impaired driving deaths in 2021
14
NHTSA's 2021 data: 13,384 fatalities in crashes involving drunk drivers
15
1 in 3 people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime
Interpretation
National Arrest Statistics Interpretation
While arrests have thankfully declined, the grim math remains: with the average DUI offender caught at double the legal limit, we're not stopping poor decisions, just timing them for after midnight.
More related reading
04 · Category
State and Local Statistics28 stats
01
California reported 110,000 DUI arrests in 2022, the highest in the nation
02
Texas had 78,000 DUI arrests in 2021, with Dallas County alone accounting for 12,500
03
Florida's DUI arrests totaled 65,200 in 2022, up 5% from 2021 due to increased enforcement
04
New York City police made 8,700 DUI arrests in 2022, primarily in Manhattan and Brooklyn
05
Michigan recorded 45,000 DUI arrests in 2021, with Wayne County leading at 6,200
06
Illinois saw 32,000 DUI arrests in 2022, a 10% increase post-pandemic
07
Ohio had 28,500 OVI (DUI) arrests in 2021, with Columbus contributing 4,800
08
Pennsylvania reported 24,000 DUI arrests in 2022, highest in Philadelphia at 5,100
09
Arizona logged 22,000 DUI arrests in 2021, Maricopa County at 9,000
10
Nevada's Clark County (Las Vegas) had 11,200 DUI arrests in 2022
11
New Jersey had 18,500 DUI arrests in 2022, highest per capita in Northeast
12
Georgia reported 42,000 DUI arrests in 2021, Atlanta metro 15,000
13
Washington state logged 25,000 DUI arrests in 2022, Seattle 4,200
14
Colorado had 20,100 DUI arrests in 2021, Denver County 3,800
15
Oregon recorded 17,500 DUII arrests in 2022, Portland 2,900
16
Utah saw 12,000 DUI arrests in 2021 despite strict laws, Salt Lake 3,500
17
Minnesota had 19,200 DWI arrests in 2022, Hennepin County 4,100
18
Wisconsin reported 23,000 OWI arrests in 2021, Milwaukee 5,200
19
Montana had high per capita DUI arrests at 650 per 100k in 2022
20
South Dakota led per capita DUI arrests at 780/100k in 2021
21
North Dakota 720/100k DUI arrests in 2022, Bismarck 1,200
22
Wyoming 650/100k, Cheyenne 900 arrests
23
New Mexico 580/100k, Albuquerque 5,500
24
Alaska 700/100k highest in nation 2021, Anchorage 2,100
25
Louisiana 55,000 DUI arrests 2022, Orleans Parish 4,000
26
Kentucky 28,000 arrests 2021, Jefferson County 3,900
27
Oklahoma 32,000 arrests 2022, Oklahoma City 6,200
28
Arkansas 22,500 arrests 2021, Pulaski County 3,200
Interpretation
State and Local Statistics Interpretation
California may boast the highest raw numbers, but when you consider Montana, South Dakota, and Alaska are practically staging per capita DUI marathons, it's clear the race to the bottom is a national pastime.
05 · Category
Temporal Trends20 stats
01
DUI arrests increased 15% during holiday seasons (Dec-Jan) from 2017-2022 average
02
Nighttime arrests (8 PM-4 AM) comprise 65% of all DUI arrests yearly
03
Summer months (Jun-Aug) see 10% more DUI arrests than winter due to travel
04
Post-2019, DUI arrests rebounded 18% by 2022 after pandemic drop
05
Super Bowl weekend averages 400 DUI arrests nationwide annually
06
Memorial Day weekend DUI arrests rose 12% from 2018-2022 average of 350 per day
07
Friday and Saturday nights account for 50% of weekly DUI arrests
08
During 2020 lockdowns, DUI arrests fell 54% in March-April compared to 2019
09
DUI arrests per 100,000 population declined from 450 in 2010 to 270 in 2021
10
Ignition interlock usage correlated with 15% drop in recidivism arrests since 2015
11
From 1999-2022, overall DUI arrests halved from 1.8 million to 893,000
12
Thanksgiving eve sees 25% spike in DUI arrests over average night
13
Labor Day weekend averages 380 DUI arrests per day nationally
14
DUI arrests dropped 30% during 2020 Thanksgiving vs 2019
15
Monthly DUI arrests highest in July at 85,000 average 2017-2022
16
Ignition interlock laws reduced arrests 67% in adopting states since 2005
17
Per capita DUI arrests fell 40% since 1990 peak of 700/100k
18
2010-2020 saw 22% decline in under-21 DUI arrests due to MLDA laws
19
New Year's Eve arrests average 250 per hour nationwide
20
4th of July weekend DUI arrests up 20% to 400/day average
Interpretation
Temporal Trends Interpretation
We get predictably reckless when we're celebrating, but the numbers prove we're learning to be smarter—when we choose to use the tools and laws designed to keep us safe.
Reference
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.
APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Dui Arrest Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/dui-arrest-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Dui Arrest Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/dui-arrest-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Dui Arrest Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/dui-arrest-statistics.
Sources & references
41 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level