20 U.S. Cities That Have the Most Drunk Drivers

Driving while intoxicated is something that every single person in the world should know better than to do, but people still do it. We like to think that people just aren’t aware of the poor choice they make getting behind the wheel of a car after a few drinks. After all, judgment is often one of the first things impaired when alcohol is consumed (think the sudden notion that drunk texting your mom or an ex or that coworker you hate is a good idea) and that you honestly just don’t realize it’s a poor choice. After all, you might not feel like you’re all that affected by the drinks you consume since you’re in a good, happy place now. But you are affected, and you’re now an official drunk driver whether or not you get caught or cause an accident. There are drunk drivers everywhere, but these 20 cities have the highest number of DUIs in the country.

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Detroit

At this point, we see no reason anyone should even bother residing in Detroit. It’s a dangerous city for women, it’s one of the most dangerous cities in the country as well. It’s listed as a city with a high crime rate, it has a high level of poverty, the robberies here are astronomical, and the number of violent crimes here each year is outrageous. Now it’s been listed as one of the cities with the most drunk driving arrests on an annual basis. There is little going for this once thriving city.

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Chicago

In an area people spend so much time walking to their favorite bars and restaurants, it’s a little surprising to see so many areas around here with a high DUI rate. But it seems that a lot of the people in the area choose to go out, have too many drinks and then get behind the wheel of a car. It’s not like there are not plenty of cabs or other forms of public transport that will get them home, either, so we don’t know what’s up with this insane rate.

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Baltimore

Baltimore is a city a lot like Detroit. It seems like a great place to live, but the crime rate is high. The unemployment rate is high and the number of people living well below poverty levels is also high. There is a lot to consider when moving to a city like this, but you should not have to add in the number of drunk driving arrests that happen around here, too. In fact, it’s a little shocking that people can even afford to get drunk considering most of them haven’t any jobs.

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New York  

Let me get this straight; in a city that has more cabs that people – or so it seems – more people here are pulled over for drunk driving every year than most other places in the country? It simply does not make any sense when you do the math, and it’s just one of those things that we don’t get. There are plenty of places people could walk to and drink from their homes. There are taxis, buses, trains and there are even horse drawn carriages if you’re desperate.

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Philadelphia

Another one of the nation’s most dangerous cities is listed as a place in which there are more drunk drivers (at least that get caught) than anywhere else. Are we beginning to see a trend here in the number of people who live below the poverty line in areas with heavy drug use and high unemployment rates? They seem to have a lot of extra time to sit around a drink considering they’re not working or making any money.

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Memphis

It’s one of the biggest country locations in the US, and it’s also a place in which drunks like to get behind the wheel. We could assume that the police force here is just that good that they get most people before they can cause an accident, but since the area has such a high crime rate, violent crime numbers and drug use, we have to assume it’s just the people and that it has nothing to do with a stellar police force just really good at their jobs.

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Fort Worth

This is the first Texas city listed on this particular list, but it is far from the last. In fact, there are more cities from Texas listed on here than any other state. It seems that the Lone Star State has the most drunk drivers in the country thanks to the fact that drinks here are cheap. We can’t say it surprises us, either, considering the fact that most things are a bit far from home in areas such as this.

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Houston

Houston is a big city and it has a big drunk driving problem. Police here pull over more drivers who have been drinking than almost any other city in the country, but not in the state. It’s one of the top drunk driving spots in Texas, but it’s not the biggest. This is a list that is made up of nearly a quarter Texas locations, which leaves us to believe that the people of Texas need to find another hobby since drinking is not a very safe one to have.

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Dallas

Yet another of the major Texas cities is located on this list. Dallas has more drunk drivers than Houston, but it’s still not the Texas city with the most drunk drivers. It’s still not a safe place to be on the road at the end of the night, however, considering the sheer number of drivers pulled over while intoxicated. There are more arrests made in just this city in one year than there are in much of the country. That’s a troubling statistic.

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San Antonio

Finally, we get to yet another Texas city with a lot of drunk drivers. We have to say that this is a state that we definitely do not want to find ourselves on the road, but that seems to be what people do most here. As someone who has been to Texas several times, and is going again in a few weeks, I can say that it does seem that there are a number of locations around here in which people have a long way to drive, but we’d recommend a DD or a cab.

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Jacksonville

It seems almost a little interesting that the city with the most drunk drivers in Florida would be Jacksonville, especially when you consider the fact that Orlando is such a huge tourist attraction and Miami is such a huge party city. It’s one of those things in which you just cannot seem to help the fact that you wouldn’t consider this a city that has so much intoxication while driving, but it is. There are more drivers pulled over here each year for drunk driving than any other city in the state.

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Austin

This is just another Texas city that has a large number of drunk drivers that are in need of some help getting out of the driver seat and being put into a cab or just not drinking in the first place. Austin has a lively music scene, a lot of entertainment and a great nightlife and that means more people than usual are out and enjoying a few cocktails.

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San Francisco

Another surprising city considering there is so much to offer in terms of public transportation and even bars and restaurants nearby locations that serve refreshing cocktails. I’m just saying that it really does come as a surprise that anyone would want to drive intoxicated in San Francisco traffic, particularly with those windy streets and those hills.

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Los Angeles

This one does not come as much of a surprise given the fact that so many of the people in Los Angeles ‘do lunch’ for some various business function or another. It seems that we could have picked this one alone thanks to all the Lindsay Lohans and other celebs out there looking to get pulled over for not doing the right thing and driving without drinking.

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Indianapolis

Indiana isn’t exactly known for being a party state, but that doesn’t mean the people that live there don’t love to have a little fun from time to time. We have no issue with people making the decision to have a cocktail from time to time, but we do have an issue with those who like to get behind the wheel of a car after they enjoy that cocktail. It’s not that hard to take turns with your spouse, to walk or to take a cab. If you just can’t, ask someone else to drive you home. There is no shame in making that call.

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Columbus

This is one Ohio city that has gone downhill quickly in the past few years. The people here have seen a rough turn in the job market. The cost of living is higher than what most people are earning now, and the vast majority of the people who live here are living well below the poverty line. There is an issue with crime, drugs have become more and more of an issue over the past few years, and people are just finding it difficult to stay out of trouble.

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Phoenix

Arizona is a lovely state and Phoenix a lovely city. Perhaps it’s the nice weather or the blue skies, but it seems that a lot of the people who live and play here have a bad habit of drinking and driving, and it’s not working out well for anyone. The people of Phoenix are among the most frequent drunk drivers in the country, and being this close to the top of the list of most ‘pulled over’ drunks in the country is not a good thing.

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Charlotte

It’s one of the nicest cities in which to live. It’s great for 20-somethings, young professionals and those looking to find love. The cost of living is low, the job rate is quite high and the people here are so friendly. It seems, however, that the good feeling of life in this area has really done a number on the residents of Charlotte as they are among the highest number of people in one city across the country pulled over and issued DUIs. It’s not a great list to top, in case that’s not obvious.

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San Jose

Lovely as California might be, it’s another state that stands prevalent on this list of places it’s not a good idea to get behind the wheel drunk. I mean, it’s not a good idea ANYWHERE, but it seems that there are either so many drunks on the road here that law enforcement officials practically have them lined up, or the area just has a really awesome police force.

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San Diego

Unlike many of the cities on this list, San Diego is a promising city. It’s a great place for young professionals. The job market here is promising, the median income around here is high, and the people who live here are happy and healthy. Of course, they’re also among the worst drivers in the country in terms of intoxication, and that’s not acceptable. If there is any list that a city should hope to be removed from as soon as possible, let it be this list.

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