Research reveals Utah as the state with the least drunk driving issues in the U.S.

Traffic moving smoothly along SR-244 last November. Photo: TownLift // Bailey Edelstein

UTAH – A recent study by Simrin Law Group, a criminal defense law firm in California, revealed that Utah has the least amount of drunk driving problems out of all fifty states in the U.S.

Every day in the U.S. more than 37 people are killed as a result of drunk driving, constituting 32% of all traffic fatalities. This figure highlights the persistent struggle with alcohol-impaired driving.

22% of traffic fatalities involved alcohol in Utah, which is notably lower than the national average of 32% In addition, Utah experiences half as many drunk driving deaths per 100,000 residents than the national average.

Compared to other states, Utah has stricter laws on drunk driving, as drivers can be arrested for a DUI if their BAC is 0.05% or higher, which is different from the standard 0.08% limit in most states.

Utah also implements the “Not a Drop” law, which means that drivers under 21 cannot have any alcohol in their systems while driving.

New Jersey is the state with the second least drunk driving incidents, Massachusetts third, Minnesota fourth, and New York fifth.

On the other hand, South Carolina was ranked as the state with the most drunk driving incidents, receiving a score of 100 out of 100.

Nearly half of the state’s fatal crashes involve alcohol, with 43% of all traffic deaths due to drunk drivers. The state has nearly double the national average of drunk driving deaths per 100,000 residents.

Texas has the second most drunk driving incidents, New Mexico third, Wyoming fourth, and Montana fifth.

Using data collected in 2022, Simrin Law Group utilizes three different metrics to rank each state: drunk drivers involved in fatal accidents per 100,000 licensed drivers (40% of the score), fatalities per 100,000 residents (35%), and the percentage of traffic deaths caused by drivers with a BAC of 0.08 or higher (25%).

Data sources of the study included the NHTSA, U.S. Census Bureau, and Statista. Each state received a weighted score out of 100 and was ranked accordingly.

Utah placed first and had the least drunk driving problems, receiving a score of 31.39 out of 100.