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US share26.3%

Factor

Alcohol

Measure share of fatal crashes with a driver reported as drinkingWindow 2015–2024

FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024.

A fatal crash counts as involving alcohol when police reported at least one driver as drinking (FARS DR_DRINK = yes). NHTSA's headline "alcohol-impaired" measure instead uses blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL or more, with missing values imputed, and runs several points higher; it is not reproduced here.

26.3%US share, 2015–2024
94,191fatal crashes, 2015–2024
43.9%highest state: Montana
18.5%lowest state: Mississippi

National trend

02143197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 19.4%1976: 20.5%1977: 34.1%1978: 35.5%1979: 38.8%1980: 40.4%1981: 41.2%1982: 41.5%1983: 41%1984: 41%1985: 40.3%1986: 42.5%1987: 42.1%1988: 40.1%1989: 39.5%1990: 40.3%1991: 38.7%1992: 36.9%1993: 35.1%1994: 33.2%1995: 32.7%1996: 32%1997: 30.1%1998: 30%1999: 34.4%2000: 35.1%2001: 35.4%2002: 35.8%2003: 34.6%2004: 33.8%2005: 34.5%2006: 35.3%2007: 36.8%2008: 32.6%2009: 32.7%2010: 31.7%2011: 30.9%2012: 30.7%2013: 30.4%2014: 29.4%2015: 28.3%2016: 26.8%2017: 26.9%2018: 25.7%2019: 25.8%2020: 26.7%2021: 26.3%2022: 26.2%2023: 25.6%2024: 24.8%
Share of US fatal crashes with a driver reported as drinking, 1975–2024 (FARS DRUNK_DR through 2021, vehicle DR_DRINK after). Latest point: 2024, 24.8%.

By state, 2015–2024

#StateShareCountAll deaths
1Montana43.9%8192,046
2North Dakota39.7%3821,060
3Rhode Island39.1%222601
4Maine36.9%5451,593
5South Dakota34.9%4101,323
6Vermont34.7%205643
7Connecticut34.3%9612,983
8Colorado34.1%2,0496,518
9Alaska33.6%220722
10Wisconsin33.4%1,8155,959
11New Hampshire32.7%3711,228
12Nebraska32.6%6802,346
13Wyoming32.5%3611,260
14South Carolina32.2%3,12010,473
15Hawaii32.1%3121,035
16Ohio31.7%3,48611,899
17Idaho31.2%6732,387
18Washington31.1%1,8006,257
19Oregon31.0%1,4755,211
20Louisiana30.9%2,3118,045
21Minnesota30.3%1,1464,111
22Massachusetts29.7%1,0333,665
23Virginia29.4%2,3918,664
24Nevada28.9%9453,557
25Michigan28.1%2,75210,567
26California27.9%10,21439,702
27Maryland27.9%1,4495,548
28Missouri27.5%2,4239,557
29Illinois27.2%2,84711,423
30West Virginia27.2%6852,726
31Arkansas26.5%1,4115,846
32Oklahoma26.5%1,6386,765
33New Mexico26.4%9724,096
34Texas25.5%9,11939,616
35Alabama25.4%2,2389,605
36Iowa25.4%7983,477
37Pennsylvania25.4%2,76311,650
38Kentucky25.3%1,7897,684
39North Carolina25.3%3,55615,192
40District of Columbia25.2%80335
41Delaware25.0%3021,287
42Tennessee24.5%2,62011,576
43Utah22.7%5842,824
44Kansas22.5%8174,045
45New Jersey22.0%1,2776,150
46Arizona21.8%2,17510,939
47Florida20.7%6,28732,681
48New York20.2%2,01810,682
49Georgia19.6%2,87515,801
50Indiana19.6%1,5918,773
51Mississippi18.5%1,1797,057

Counties with the highest share

Counties with at least 100 crash deaths in 2015–2024, ranked by share. A high share says what kind of crashes a county has, not how many; the county page gives the rate per 100,000 residents.

#CountyStateShareCountAll deaths
1Fremont CountyWY59.8%64123
2Big Horn CountyMT50.5%55130
3Gallatin CountyMT48.5%48108
4Josephine CountyOR47.7%84194
5Washington CountyRI47.5%48105
6Lake CountyOH47.2%50109
7Flathead CountyMT46.3%76178
8Oxford CountyME45.7%42101
9Cherokee CountySC45.6%68160
10McCurtain CountyOK43.6%51129
11Maui CountyHI42.7%67173
12Garfield CountyCO42.5%37101
13Yellowstone CountyMT42.5%79203
14Siskiyou CountyCA42.4%53138
15McHenry CountyIL41.8%82228
16Rock CountyWI41.4%79210
17New London CountyCT41.0%107281
18Hancock CountyME40.8%40108
19Cascade CountyMT40.7%37103
20Kenosha CountyWI40.6%56149
21Calaveras CountyCA40.5%49131
22Levy CountyFL40.5%68180
23Laurens CountySC40.5%85238
24Monroe CountyMI40.3%73202
25Cowlitz CountyWA40.2%45125

Other factors: Speeding · Pedestrians · Motorcycles · Unrestrained occupants

Questions and answers

What share of US fatal crashes involve alcohol?

26.3% over 2015–2024 (share of fatal crashes with a driver reported as drinking), 94,191 in total. A fatal crash counts as involving alcohol when police reported at least one driver as drinking (FARS DR_DRINK = yes). NHTSA's headline "alcohol-impaired" measure instead uses blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL or more, with missing values imputed, and runs several points higher; it is not reproduced here.

Which states have the highest alcohol share?

Montana (43.9%), North Dakota (39.7%), Rhode Island (39.1%), Maine (36.9%), South Dakota (34.9%). The lowest: Mississippi (18.5%), Indiana (19.6%), Georgia (19.6%).

Is the share rising or falling?

Nationally, 28.3% in 2015 and 24.8% in 2024. The chart on this page shows each year.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, vehicle and person tables 2015–2024 and accident table 1975–2024, public domain. National shares over 2015–2024: 358,460 fatal crashes, 389,190 deaths. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology.