Driving during the winter is historically more dangerous compared to other months. Increased traffic during the holiday season, paired with inclement and unpredictable weather patterns, spells for trouble on the roads for many drivers. Not only are general road conditions less-than-ideal, but the influx of celebrations with no shortage of libations leads to a spike in DUIs during this time of year. 

Getting behind the wheel after having a drink (or a few) is not only unwise but incredibly dangerous and potentially fatal. In fact, 28% of fatal crashes during the month of December involve drunk drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To investigate where drunk driving occurs most often in 2021, the research team at Insurify turned to their proprietary database of over 4 million car insurance applications and identified the city in each state with the highest DUI rate.

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Insights

• National averages. Across U.S. metropolitan areas, the average share of drivers reporting a DUI is 1.9%. Among the top cities in each state, the average share of drivers reporting a DUI is 2.9%, which is 53% greater than the national average.

• Ohio and North Daoka are home to the drivers are the most DUI-prone compared to the national averaged.

• Florida and Washington are home to the lowest citywide DUI rates. Some cities, fortunately, have drivers whose penchant for getting behind the wheel while under the influence is notably lower than average. 

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Methodology

The data scientists at Insurify, a site to compare auto insurance rates, referred to their database of over 4 million car insurance applications to determine the city with the most DUIs for each state. When applying for auto insurance, drivers disclose their city and state of residence, in addition to any prior infractions on their record within the past seven years. Insurify’s research team compared the population of drivers with at least one DUI to the total number of drivers across 566 U.S. cities. The city with the highest share of drivers with a DUI in each state was selected as the city with the most DUIs in its respective state.

Cities in this analysis were designated using the United States Census Bureau’s classification of an “urbanized area,” defined as an urban area with a population over 50,000. States with insufficient municipal data were excluded from the analysis (Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Vermont, and West Virginia).

The findings in this article represent statistical trends found in Insurify’s database of over 4 million car insurance applications. The findings of this study are not meant to imply the direction nor necessarily the existence of a causal relationship. Rather, this is a presentation of statistical correlations of public interest.

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Alabama: Auburn

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.5% (29% higher than state average)

Image Credit: Jacqueline Nix/istockphoto.

Arizona: Flagstaff

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.6% (58% higher than state average)

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Arkansas: Fayetteville

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.3% (70% higher than state average)

Image Credit: Brandonrush / Wiki Commons.

California: Redding

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 4.2% (75% higher than state average)

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Colorado: Longmont

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.6% (39% higher than state average)

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Connecticut: Manchester

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.8% (62% higher than state average)

Image Credit: John Phelan / Wikipedia Commons.

Florida: Jupiter

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.7% (94% higher than state average)

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Georgia: Athens

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.9% (36% higher than state average)

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Idaho: Caldwell

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 4.1% (32% higher than state average)

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Illinois: Springfield

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.5% (50% higher than state average)

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Indiana: Lafayette

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.6% (33% higher than state average)

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Iowa: Waterloo

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 4.6% (40% higher than state average)

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Kansas: Olathe

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.4% (22% higher than state average)

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Kentucky: Bowling Green

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.0% (33% higher than state average)

Image Credit: Jacqueline Nix / iStock.

Louisiana: Bossier City

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.8% (72% higher than state average)

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Maryland: Bowie

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.9% (39% higher than state average)

Image Credit: Andrew Bossi/Wikipedia Commons.

Massachusetts: Lynn

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.7% (50% higher than state average)

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Michigan: Battle Creek

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.8% (52% higher than state average)

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Minnesota: Rochester

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 4.9% (28% higher than state average)

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Mississippi: Gulfport

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.3% (25% higher than state average)

Image Credit: Woodlot .

Missouri: Blue Springs

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.3% (38% higher than state average)

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Montana: Missoula

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.5% (19% higher than state average)

Image Credit: prizrak2084 .

Nebraska: Lincoln

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 4.7% (21% higher than state average)

Image Credit: Deposit Photos.

Nevada: Reno

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.7% (51% higher than state average)

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New Jersey: Clifton

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.7% (149% higher than state average)

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New Mexico: Albuquerque

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.2% (14% higher than state average)

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

New York: Schenectady

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.4% (121% higher than state average)

Image Credit: Brian Logan / iStock.

North Carolina: Wilmington

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.1% (77% higher than state average)

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Ohio: Canton

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 5.5% (63% higher than state average)

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Oklahoma: Norman

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.7% (24% higher than state average)

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Oregon: Springfield

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.2% (37% higher than state average)

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Pennsylvania: Erie

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.5% (29% higher than state average)

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Rhode Island: Cranston

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.1% (67% higher than state average)

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South Carolina: Charleston

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 1.9% (33% higher than state average)

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South Dakota: Sioux Falls

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 4.5% (4% higher than state average)

SPONSORED: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor

1. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes.

2. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

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Tennessee: Hendersonville

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.7% (59% higher than state average)

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Texas: Grapevine

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.4% (88% higher than state average)

Image Credit: Renelibrary / Wiki Commons.

Utah: Orem

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.4% (35% higher than state average)

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Virginia: Virginia Beach

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.5% (40% higher than state average)

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Washington: Auburn

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 2.3% (41% higher than state average)

Image Credit: SounderBruce / WikiCommons.

Wisconsin: Green Bay

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 3.8% (39% higher than state average)

Image Credit: ImagesbyK / istockphoto.

Wyoming: Casper

• Share of drivers with a DUI: 4.8% (19% higher than state average)

Related:

• Most popular new car under $20K in every state
• This one thing can help you lower car insurance premiums if you get in an accident

This article
originally appeared on Insurify.com and was
syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

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