New map highlights worst US roads for drunk drivers

 

Drinking and driving is never a good idea, but if you’re going to make the mistake of having a few beers before getting behind the wheel, make sure you don’t drive down I-90 in Montana, as new research has found that it was home to the highest number of DUI deaths in the US.

In a new report, online legal services marketplace, Avvo, used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatal Accident Reporting System to develop a map of the streets where the highest number of alcohol-related deaths occurred between 2004 and 2013. It found that more than half (54 percent) occurred on less-populated rural roadways.

interstate deaths

The NHTSA data showed that a total of 94,550 accidents involving both a DUI and a fatality had occurred nationwide during that time period, and that the most dangerous highways tended to be found in the western US, from Montana through New Mexico. Some of these accidents were due to higher speed limits and the long distance, open nature of the roads, the report said.

Following I-90 in Montana, the roads with the highest numbers of DUI-related deaths included I-25 and I-80 in Wyoming, I-25 and I-40 in New Mexico and I-90 and I-29 in South Dakota. Even though a Montana road was the deadliest, three different Wyoming roads appeared in the top 10, leading Avvo researchers to dub it “the most dangerous state” for drunk drivers.

Measuring BAC levels, impact of public transportation

Common sense would indicate that people should used public transport, but there’s a problem with that, the study authors pointed out. While previous research has revealed that there is a 44 percent total decrease in DUI arrests in Washington DC because of public transportation, “for the worst offending states on our list, there is a general lack of public transportation.”

“The lack of public transportation makes sense when looking at the costs: It’s not economical to provide off-hour transit in all but the most densely populated areas,” the report said, adding that ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft are not typically available in rural areas, forcing those who go out drinking to “either… drive home or spring for expensive cab fare,” it added.

Avvo also found that the drivers involved in lethal DUI accidents typically have at least twice the .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) limit, independent of their age or location. On roads with higher accident rates, that figure spikes to between .21 and .24 – “extremely high” numbers, considering the fact that people BACs over .20 need help walking and are prone to blackouts.

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Feature image: Thinkstock

Story image: Avvo