Louisiana In The Top Worst Drinking And Driving States In America

Louisiana has shown up on another list that isn't flattering to the Bayou State. It's no secret that we love our alcohol and unfortunately, that leads to drunk driving.

According to Forbes Advisor, nearly 30% of all fatal car crashes in the USA during November and December in 2021 (the most recent data available) involved a drunk driver.

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Driving drunk can not only be deadly for you, your passengers, and others driving, but it could also ruin your life.  You could kill someone and go to prison, get a DWI and have your license suspended, have a criminal record, and much more. In their research, they found that more than two-fifths (42.18%) of drivers have witnessed a friend or family member drive after having more than one alcoholic drink.

They also came out with a list of the worst states for drunk diving in America and Louisiana ranks in the top 20.

To determine which states have the highest rates of drunk driving, Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states across the following six metrics:

• Number of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers: 21.50% of score. Data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For this metric, we took a five-year average, using data from 2017 to 2021.
• Number of DUI arrests per 100,000 licensed drivers: 21.50% of score. Data comes from the FBI. For this metric, we took a five-year average using data from 2018 to 2022.
• Number of people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver per 100,000 state residents: 15.50% of score. Data comes from the NHTSA. For this metric, we took a five-year average using data from 2017 to 2021. State population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2022.
• Percent of total traffic deaths caused by drivers with a BAC of 0.08 or higher: 15.50% of score. Data comes from the NHTSA, 2021.
• Number of drunk drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers: 15.50% of score. Data comes from the NHTSA’s Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST). For this metric, we took a five-year average using data from 2017 to 2021.
• Percent of total traffic deaths that were caused by drivers with a BAC of 0.01 to 0.07: 10.50% of score. Data comes from the NHTSA, 2021.

Our neighbor Texas faired much worse than us and ranked much higher in the Worst States For Drunk Driving In 2023:

3. Texas

Texas’ score: 98.66 out of 100

• The Lone Star State ranks second worst for both the share of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (8.30 per 100,000 licensed drivers) and percentage of traffic deaths caused by drunk drivers (42.37%).
• Texas also stands out as the state with the third-highest rate of drunk drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes (0.94 per 100,000 licensed drivers).
• More than five (5.14) people are killed in crashes involving a drunk driver for every 100,000 state residents (the sixth-highest amount).

The Top 10 Worst States For Drunk Driving In 2023:

1. Montana
2. South Dakota
3. Texas
4. Wyoming
5. North Dakota
6. Oregon
7. New Mexico
8. South Carolina
9. Missouri
10. Oklahoma

Louisiana ranked at #18 on the Worst States For Drunk Driving In 2023 list according to Forbes Advisor.

Louisiana received a total score of 56.67 out of 100. 30.76% of traffic accidents in the Bayou State were caused by drunk drivers. Louisiana had 116.05 DWI arrests per 100,000 drivers and 6.47 of those were fatal.

Forbes Advisor's Worst States For Drunk Driving In 2023: