Top 20 Cities with the Most Drunken Drivers

In 2008, 11,773 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. To prevent or curtail drunken-driving fatalities, nearly 1.43 million drivers were arrested in 2007 on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Insurance.com recently released a study ranking the top 20 cities with the most DUI offenders. The study tallies requested insurance quotes and calculates the percentage of people who reported at least one DUI violation. Cities with poor public transportation and strong DUI enforcement ended up toward the top of the list, the study shows.

The worst offender is San Diego, which has a pretty poor public transportation system and a very aggressive police department as it pertains to DUI arrests. San Diego has a sergeant and five specialized officers who spend 40 hours a week just stopping and arresting DUI offenders, according to Insurance.com. City officers are trained to watch traffic and search for even slight driver’s errors, such as stopping too long at an intersection.

San Jose, Calif., which ranks No. 2 on the list, says it’s so aggressive at convicting DUI offenders that the city may be going “overboard,” as the county is straining from the costs associated with jailing drunken drivers, according to Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss.

So the list might not necessarily shed light on the cities with the most drunken-driving occurrences, but rather the cities that enforce and convict the most offenders. For all we know, cities that rank low on the list — like Detroit or Baltimore — could have more drivers under the influence, but less enforcement.

The list of the top 20 cities is below.

Comments

Wow, LA is #7. I don't think there is such a thing as being overzealous when it comes to convicting DUI's although budget constraints may be an issue. I have a constant fear of being hit by a DUI so I tend to stay in during the weekends.

There isn't such a thing as being overzealous when it comes to detecting and convicting DUI offenders. Five years ago my cousin was killed by a drunk driver who had four previous violations. Our judicial system has become so liberal that the only way you can protect yourself against a drunk driver is to drive a large SUV and stay off the roads after 8pm.

San Diego makes sense, large military presence, with the Navy in Coronado and Point Loma, and the Marines at Camp Pendleton.

Lots of young people who tend to binge drink.

This is what happens when cities don't have any public transportation and/or few/expensive cabs. Indianapolis has a super expensive cab system -- it's no wonder people drink and drive. What other choice do they have?

austin number 9? says more about the police than the citizens!! i was charged with dwi in Austin. jury agreed with me.