Montana is Worst State for Drunk Driving

Montana ranks as the worst state in the nation for drunk driving, according to a new report from Zutobi.

The Treasure State received a DUI severity score of 84.1 out of 100 — the highest of all states. In 2020, 45% of Montana’s road fatalities involved a drunk driver, and there were 473 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers.

South Dakota came in second for worst drunk driving, with a severity score of 80.4. The state experienced a staggering 908 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers. Others that ranked among the top five for worst drunk driving include Wyoming with a severity score of 78.7, North Dakota (74.8), and Texas (64.4). These are the same five states that topped the list in 2019.

With 11,654 deaths, drunk driving accounted for 30% of all road fatalities in 2020 — the worst year since 2005. Moreover, drunk driving fatalities are up an alarming 1,512 deaths — or 14.9% — compared to 2019.

To assess drunk driving “severity,” Zutobi rated each state on a series of factors including number of DUI deaths per 100,000 drivers and DUI road fatalities per 100,000 drivers.

Not all states have dire news as it concerns impaired driving. For example, Delaware leads the nation for the least drunk driving according to the Zutobi analysis.

The First State received a DUI severity score of 27.9 out of 100. In 2020, only 23% of Delaware’s road fatalities involved an impaired driver, which is well below the national average at 30%. Moreover, Delaware only reported a total of 294 DUI arrests and 3.25 DUI fatalities per 100,000 drivers.

Massachusetts takes the second spot for least drunk driving with a severity score of 31.7. The state experienced 133.5 DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers and 1.9 fatalities per 100,000 drivers. Other states that ranked among the top five for least drunk driving include New York with a 32.1 severity score, New Jersey (34.5), and Hawaii (36.1).