Drunk driving remains a significant problem throughout the country. But certain days are more dangerous on the roads than others. MoneyGeek analyzed historical data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to identify the deadliest days, weeks and holidays for driving under the influence (DUI) in the United States from 2018 to 2022.
2024’s Most Dangerous Days for DUIs
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
DUI fatalities in 2022 reached 12,285, a 26% increase from 2018.
DUI fatalities have seen a significant rise in recent years, surpassing 12,000 in both 2021 and 2022 — a level not seen since 2006.
The deadliest season for drunk driving-related fatalities from 2018 to 2022 was summer, accounting for 28% of deaths.
From 2018 to 2022, the deadliest week was the week of Labor Day, recording 1,278 DUI fatalities, or an annual average of 256 deaths.
On New Year's Day, drunk driving-related deaths spiked 89% above the baseline average daily DUI fatalities, making it the most dangerous holiday of the year for drunk driving.
57% of drunk driving-related fatalities occurred on the weekends (Friday through Sunday).
DUI Fatalities by Season
Drunk driving incidents never really take a hiatus, but certain seasons bring out more than the usual amount of intoxicated drivers. If you want to steer clear of people driving under the influence, the summer is the worst time to drive. According to MoneyGeek's analysis, 28% of DUI-related deaths from 2018 to 2022 happened in the summer.
Fall is close behind summer when it comes to the number of DUI fatalities per season, accounting for 26% of DUI-related deaths. Twenty-four percent of DUI deaths occurred in the spring. Winter presents its own seasonal dangers on the road, but you’ll still need to avoid drunk drivers during this chilly time of year. At 22%, winter was the least likely season for DUI-related fatal accidents to occur.
Most Dangerous Holidays for DUIs
New Year's Day was the deadliest day of the year for drunk driving. The odds that somebody would be intoxicated behind the wheel and cause a fatal accident on this day were 89% higher relative to the seasonal trend and the day of the week where it falls. Unlike other holidays, where the celebrations may occur over a period of days, New Year’s is one night, with drivers making their way back home in the wee hours of New Year's Day.
Labor Day was in second place but far off in the distance compared to New Year's Day. Drivers' risk of encountering drunk drivers on the weekend preceding Labor Day and on the holiday itself was 53% over the typical trend. July Fourth ranked as the third most dangerous holiday, presenting a 46% increased risk compared to the average day, while Memorial Day weekend followed closely in fourth place with a risk level 45% above the average.
Most Dangerous Days of the Week for DUIs
Analysis of DUI fatalities that occurred between 2018 and 2022 showed that the most dangerous day of the week to drive was Saturday, with more than 22% of all DUI-related accidents occurring on this day. Sunday wasn't far behind at 20%. One of the reasons why Sunday appeared so deadly is that many DUI-related accidents happened after midnight.
Meanwhile, Tuesday was the day of the week when the fewest drunk drivers tended to be on the road. The data below shows the total DUI fatalities from 2018 to 2022 and their percentage distribution by day of the week.
Most Dangerous Weeks of the Year for DUIs
The first week of September, which often includes Labor Day, was the most dangerous week for drunk driving from 2018 to 2022, with a total of 1,278 DUI fatalities. Not far behind was the fourth week of August, which ranked as the third deadliest week with 1,208 deaths. These weeks coincide with the end of summer celebrations, which often involve barbecues, parties and gatherings.
The first week of July, which includes Independence Day, was the second most dangerous week for drunk driving, with 1,229 fatalities. The week of Memorial Day, which falls on the fourth week of May, occurs toward the end of spring. With increased travel, outdoor activities and social gatherings, it ranked as the fourth most dangerous week for DUI-related fatalities, with 1,195 deaths.
Month | Week of
the Month | Total
Fatalities | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
9 | 1 | 1,278 | Labor Day |
7 | 1 | 1,229 | Independence Day |
8 | 4 | 1,208 | Labor Day Weekend |
5 | 4 | 1,195 | Memorial Day, Late Spring |
7 | 3 | 1,193 | Summer |
6 | 2 | 1,189 | Early Summer (Father's Day, Graduations) |
9 | 3 | 1,186 | Fall (Potentially Tailgate Season) |
8 | 1 | 1,175 | Summer |
6 | 3 | 1,175 | Early Summer (Father's Day, Graduations) |
6 | 4 | 1,173 | Summer |
Ways to Stay Safe on the Road
Of course, there’s only so much you can do to protect yourself from a drunk driver. For instance, it isn’t practical to only drive on Tuesdays, but if you don’t need to be out late on a holiday, there may be something to be said for not going out. Still, there are some strategies you can employ to stay safe on the road.
- 1
Have a designated driver
If you’re drinking with friends, make sure whoever is behind the wheel hasn’t been drinking.
- 2
Create a return home plan
If everybody you are with will be drinking and there's no designated driver, know ahead of time who you’ll be calling for a ride home, whether that’s a family member or an Uber driver.
- 3
Make sure you’re strapped in
Good advice for anybody in a car, any time, of course, whether you encounter a drunk driver or not. But Heather Geronemus, the national chairwoman of Mothers Against Drink Driving (MADD), counsels, “The best defense against drunk drivers is to always wear your seatbelt and make sure children are properly restrained.”
- 4
Drive without distractions
It doesn’t matter if you’re sober. If you’re driving — especially at night — stay off the phone and keep your eyes on the road. Distracted driving rivals drunk driving when it comes to dangerous behaviors on the road. Unfortunately, there often isn’t much you can do if a drunk driver careens toward your car, but being alert could make all the difference in surviving an encounter with a drunk driver.
Consequences of Getting a DUI
Heather Geronemus has become an expert on the consequences of drunk driving from the victim’s side. In 2009, her father, Dr. Robert Geronemus, a prominent kidney specialist in Fort Lauderdale, was leaving a medical conference dinner in downtown Miami as a pedestrian when he was struck by a car that went through a red light.
“First, it's most important to think about what DUIs cost families,” she says. “For a victim like me, you cannot put a price on a lifetime of memories that you will never make with a loved one.” But there is definitely a monetary cost, Geronemus says. “From a financial perspective, it’s most important to understand what DUIs cost society. Estimates show that drunk driving costs our nation over $130 billion per year. Much of these costs are borne by taxpayers, not the drunk driver. This issue affects us all, and it makes financial sense to try to eliminate drunk driving.” And what’s the real financial cost for somebody who gets pulled over for driving while intoxicated? It’s not pretty.
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates a first-time drunk driver can pay as much as $10,000 in fines, legal fees, and higher car insurance costs,” Geronemus says.
What's more, a DUI continues to impact your wallet long after the initial violation. A DUI can cause your insurance rates to increase significantly; the cheapest car insurance rates will immediately be out of your reach. You may also be required to file an SR-22, which you can't do on your own. Your insurance company must file the SR-22 for you, and not all insurance companies offer that option.
So, whether or not an SR-22 is a requirement for you, it can be beneficial to shop around to confirm whether your insurance provider can still offer you the cheapest auto insurance rates after a DUI or if another company might be able to save you at least a little bit of money.
With the above in mind, if you’re ever at a point where you’ve done some drinking but don’t feel drunk, and you’re tempted to save a little money and not call an Uber, you should rethink that decision. The short-term costs of a ride home could save you thousands in complications related to a DUI and save lives.
An End to Drunk Driving
Heather Geronemus says that someday, the number of drunk driving accidents is bound to go down. Not soon enough, of course.
“MADD believes that technology will ultimately solve the problem of drunk driving. We are working on Capitol Hill to support legislation such as the RIDE Act and HALT Act, which would direct the Department of Transportation to require new cars to have advanced technology to detect and stop drunk drivers.”
Geronemus adds: “The technology would be passive, so the driver wouldn’t know it’s in the car unless he or she were impaired.”
But until that happens, driving defensively and never drinking and driving can help keep you and other drivers on the road safe.
Methodology
MoneyGeek analyzed the five most recent years of DUI Crash Fatalities from the NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database (2018 to 2022). We then compared the average fatalities during specific holiday periods to the average daily fatalities over these five years, which stood at 30 fatalities per day. To determine the most dangerous holidays for drunk driving, we considered the following holidays and related time periods:
- New Year's Day: Only the actual day.
- Memorial Day: Including the three days before the holiday.
- Independence Day: Including the day before and the day after the holiday.
- Labor Day: Including the three days before the holiday.
- Veterans Day: Only the actual day.
- Thanksgiving: Including the day before the holiday.
- Christmas Day: Including Christmas Eve.
For the analysis of the most dangerous weeks for DUI fatalities, each week was defined as a seven-day period starting Monday and ending Sunday. Additionally, we used this grouping to determine seasons for this analysis: Spring (March–May), Summer (June–August), Fall (September–November), and Winter (December–February).
Metrics Utilized
MoneyGeek studied NHTSA data on fatal motor vehicle crashes from 2018 to 2022 involving someone with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08g/dl or more.
About Geoff Williams
Geoff Williams has been a professional writer for over three decades and a personal finance journalist for over 15 years. He contributes financial content to MoneyGeek, with expertise in personal finance, real estate, entrepreneurship, credit cards and loans. He has been writing for various publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and CNNMoney. He also authored several books, including “Living Well with Bad Credit.”
Williams earned his creative writing degree from Indiana University Bloomington.