Dallas 5th in Nation for DUI Deaths

Last month, Dallas Cowboy Jerry Brown Jr. was killed in a Texas drunk driving car crash. His friend and team member Josh Brent was at the wheel.

Unfortunately, this death was not an anomaly.  According to a report from IDV Solutions, Dallas has the fifth highest rate of fatal drunk driving accidents among the country's 25 largest cities. It has the fourth highest rate of traffic fatalities overall. The ranking were based on data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. They included data from 2001 to 2010.
Why are there so many DUI deaths in Dallas when larger cities, like New York and Philadelphia, have very low rates of DUI deaths? It may simply be that Dallas residents are more likely to drive. In New York of Philadelphia, public transportation, including the subway, accommodates patrons traveling to and from bars. However, if you are drinking in Lower Greenville and you become intoxicated, your choices for a safe, legal ride home are limited to a designated driver or a taxi cab. Unfortunately, many people decide to risk driving home themselves.

Dallas DUI statistics.

• Dallas Population: 1.2 million (9^th largest city in U.S.)
• Number of fatal Dallas car crashes per 1,000 residents: 1.15 (4^th highest in U.S.)
• Number of fatal alcohol-related crashes per 1,000 residents: 0.48 (5^th highest in U.S.)
• Dallas rate of fatal car accidents involving alcohol: 41.4 percent

Denver has the highest rate of fatal car accidents involving intoxication at 54.2 percent. Houston ranks 2nd with a 46.8 percent, Austin ranks 7^th with a rate of 40.3 percent, and Fort Worth ranks 12th at 35.9 percent. Per capita, U.S. DUI deaths have dropped by two-thirds over the past 30 years.
See more Texas drunk driving accident statistics.