A new study conducted by a Florida-based law firm found that Memphis and Nashville are among the top five worst U.S. cities for drunk driving.
The study by Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers analyzed 100 U.S. cities and ranked them based on Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrest rates, alcohol-related deaths per capita, and the percentage of total traffic deaths involving alcohol.
Memphis was ranked as “America’s drunk driving capital” while Nashville was ranked the fourth deadliest city in the nation for drunk driving.
As the nation’s deadliest city for drunk driving, Memphis earned a risk score of 88.1 out of 100 and a fatality rate of 194 deaths per 100,000 residents – meaning Memphis residents are 3.5 times more likely to die in a drunk driving crash than the average American.
The study showed that there have been 1,222 alcohol-involved crash deaths in Memphis in recent years – more than any major U.S. city for its size – and that 12 percent of all local traffic deaths have involved alcohol, which is double the rate in cities like New York City or Chicago.
Furthermore, the study pointed out how Memphis police make just 1.1 arrests for every drunk driving fatality, which is about 7.5 times lower than the typical U.S. city.
Nashville, which ranked fourth-deadliest U.S. city for drunk driving, earned a risk score of 78.6 out of 100 as the city was found to have 93 out of 100 for drunk driving deaths per 100,000 people and 88 for alcohol-involved fatal crashes.
The study branded Tennessee as the nation’s “DUI danger zone” as it was the only state with two cities at the top of the danger list for drunk driving.
Rounding out the top five deadliest U.S. cities for drunk driving are Detroit, Michigan (84.1 risk score); Houston, Texas (84.1 risk score); and Charlotte, North Carolina (78.3 risk score).
The top five safest U.S. cities for drunk driving are Chandler, Arizona (7.1 risk score); Gilbert, Arizona (10.1 risk score); Las Vegas, Nevada (18.6 risk score); Reno, Nevada (18.6 risk score); and Chesapeake, Virginia (19.1 risk score).
Among all vehicle types, the most common models involved in fatal DUI crashes nationwide were found to be Ford F-Series trucks, Chevrolet Silverados, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the study noted.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Drunk Driving” by NewYork Lawyers. CC BY-SA 2.0.
