When you read drunk driving statistics, you often see national statistics and trends. While these can be very telling when you’re just trying to get the big picture overall, they don’t necessarily tell you what types of risks you face. Does the number of drunk drivers in California make a difference to you in Florida? What about the number in Montana or New York or Hawaii?
The answer is clear: You want to know where Florida ranks. That’s what impacts your life the most. That’s what changes your personal risk level every time you get on the road.
There is some good news: Florida is not in the top five for states with the most drunk driving deaths every year. When you look at the number of deaths per capita, putting low-population states on equal footing with high-population states, those spots go to Wyoming, South Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico and Alabama.
However, Florida does still rank in the top half. It comes in at No. 16 overall, with 4.00 deaths per 100,000 people. For the sake of comparison, Wyoming has 7.60 deaths per 100,000 people, the most in the country. On the other side of the spectrum, the state with the fewest DUI deaths is New Jersey. It has just 1.39 drunk driving deaths for every 100,000 people. Right above it is New York, with 1.49.
So, as you can see, the risks of getting hit by a drunk driver are still pretty high in Florida. If that happens to you and you suffer injuries or lose a loved one, make sure you know what legal options you have.
