The 10 American Cities With the Most Drunk Driving Incidents
If you are expecting to find big cities on this list like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, think again. Likely due to the prevalence of good public transportation systems and alternative transport options like taxis and plenty of ride-share options, these cities are all below the national average for drunk DUI rates.
Big cities like Los Angeles, where the public transportation system isn't as robust, exceed the national average slightly. However, they still fall far short of the smaller cities and towns that top this list.
According to the most recent statistics, these are the cities with the highest DUI rates per capita.
10: Ventura, CA
Ventura has a DUI rate of 4.567% of all drivers within the city having a DUI on record. Ventura is a small, ocean-side city with just over 100,000 residents, located a little northwest of Los Angeles. It is not isolated in its high DUI rate as it is the first of two California cities on this list. California, as a whole, does not rate well when it comes to DUIs, having the ninth highest incidence rate of any state.
9: Fort Collins, CO
The DUI rate in Fort Collins is even worse than in Ventura, with 4.693% of drivers saddled with a DUI. The DUI rate for this Northern Colorado city of over 150,000 is almost five times the state average. That is a sobering statistic considering that the state of Colorado has the 6th highest rate of all states. However, it is not the worst offender in the state.
8: Costa Mesa, CA
The highest DUI rate of any California city belongs to Costa Mesa at 4.758%. Not far south of Los Angeles, Costa Mesa has nearly 120,000 residences.
7: Cheyenne, WY
Wyoming's capital is the first city in the state to appear on this list, but it won't be the last. With a DUI rate of 4.957%, Cheyenne has a high number of drunk drivers amongst its ranks of 60,000 plus residents. Sadly that number isn't even four times the state average, as Wyoming has the highest DUI rate of any state at 1.397.
6: Rapid City, SD
Rapid City marks crossing the five percent threshold with a DUI rate of 50.43%. South Dakota falls just behind California on the list of state offenders, coming in 10th. Rapid City, with a population of just under 150,000, represents the worst the state has to offer in regards to DUI rates.
5: Casper, WY
The second Wyoming city to appear on this list, Casper has a DUI rate of 5.085%. Casper is located in Central Wyoming and boasts a population of almost 60,000. While its DUI rate is frighteningly high, unfortunately, it is only the fifth-ranked city on our list.
4: Bozeman, MT
With Bozeman, the DUI rate jumps significantly to 5.587%, over half a percentage point higher than Casper. Surprisingly, when you consider that Montana has the third highest DUI rate of any state, this is the only Montana city to make the list. Bozeman has a population of under 50,000 but still has plenty of drunk drivers on the roadways.
3: Rochester, MN
Rochester bumps up the DUI rate to 5.709%, with the highest DUI rate in a state that ranks fifth in the nation for DUI rate at just under one percent. With a population of over 100,000 for the city, that is going to add up to a lot of drivers with a DUI on record.
2: Loveland, CO
Breaking the six percent mark is the second Colorado city on this list. Loveland's rate of 6.195 percent is the second-highest rate in the nation. With the high elevation of this city of 75,000 plus, icy winter conditions and alcohol can lead to dangerous roadways.
1: Gillette, WY
If you are looking to avoid drunk drivers, steer clear of Gillette. With a terrifying rate of 6.856%, the third Wyoming city in the top ten, fortunately, has a small population of just over 30,000 residents.
Drunk Driving in the United States
Drunk driving is a horrible epidemic in the United States, with over a quarter of all traffic-related deaths being caused by alcohol impairment. Fortunately, the numbers are getting better, with drunk driving decreasing by a third in the past three decades. If you have been harmed by a drunk driver contact a local lawyer for a consultation.
A car accident can have a dramatic impact on your life. Make sure you have competent representation so that you can get the compensation to which you are entitled. Proper compensation is essential to getting your life back on track and moving on from a traumatic car accident injury.