Oregon Drivers Among Worst in Nation for Alcohol-Linked Fatal Crashes, New Data Shows
Drunk drivers were found to be involved in 19.7% of all fatal crashes in the US between 2019 and 2023. At 23.2%, Oregon ranked as the 12th deadliest state, with 23.2% of all fatal crashes between 2019 and 2023 involving a drunk driver.
Oregon Drunk Drivers Involved In 23.2% Of Fatal Accidents
Drunk driving is a growing problem. In a study of states by Recovered, the healthcare publisher analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the years 2019 to 2023 on fatal collisions involving one or more drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit of 0.08%.
Oregon was identified as the 12th most hazardous state for drunk driving in the US, with 23.2% of all fatal crashes in the 5 years.
With one-quarter of all road traffic deaths being attributed to alcohol, every 42 minutes, there was an alcohol related death on the roads in 2023.
To highlight road safety and potential risks during the busy summer months, the study identified the states with the highest and lowest rates of fatal crashes involving drunk drivers.
Montana is the most deadly state for drunk driving. Out of 957 fatal crashes between 2019 and 2023, 32.2%- almost one-third- involved a drunk driver. Compared with the national average of 19.7%, the worst states for fatal crashes involving drunk drivers for 2019-2023 were:
Rank | State | Percentage of fatal crashes involving a drunk driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Montana | 32.2% |
| 2. | North Dakota | 29.1% |
| 3. | New Hampshire | 28.9% |
| 4. | Rhode Island | 27.9% |
| 5. | Connecticut | 25.2% |
| 6.(Tie) | Maine | 25% |
| 6.(Tie) | Colorado | 25% |
| 7. | Vermont | 24.5% |
| 8. | Ohio | 24.2% |
| 9. | South Carolina | 23.8% |
| 10. | South Dakota | 23.6% |
On the lower end of the scale, Mississippi had the fewest collisions due to drunk driving, with 8.2% of the 3,268 fatal crashes in the state involving drunk driving between 2019 and 2023. 269 involved drunk drivers.
Arizona had the second-lowest rate at 9.9% of a total of 5,313 fatal crashes involving a drunk driver. Still, 526 people died as a result of drunk driving.