South Carolina just eked out of the top ten worst states in the nation for drunk driving statistics, according to a new Zutobi report that measures several key metrics including DUI arrests and fatalities.
“Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is a major reason for road accidents and road deaths in the United States each year,” the report reads. “The year 2020, being the first year of the COVID pandemic, shows a clear trend shift when it comes to drunk driving fatalities – unfortunately, in the wrong direction.”
In 2020, the state reported more than 269 arrests per 100,000 drivers, eight road fatalities per 100,000 drivers and a total of 315 DUI fatalities, giving the state a severity score of 54.9, 0.3 points behind the 10th spot on the list, New Mexico.
According to data, 29% of all road fatalities in South Carolina were DUI-related. Nationwide, drunk driving accounted for 30% of all road fatalities — with 11,654 deaths — the worst year since 2005. And drunk driving fatalities are up 1,512 deaths (14.9%) compared to 2019.
Montana leads the U.S. with a DUI severity score of 84.1, while No. 2 South Dakota boasts thee highest number of DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers with 908.7.
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