Drunk driving remains a serious problem throughout the country. But certain days are more dangerous on the roads than others. MoneyGeek analyzed historical data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to identify the deadliest days, weeks and holidays for driving under the influence (DUI) in the United States from 2018 to 2022.
2025’s Most Dangerous Days for DUIs
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
- DUI fatalities in 2022 reached 12,285, a 26% increase from 2018.
- DUI fatalities increased sharply in recent years, surpassing 12,000 in 2021 and 2022, a level not seen since 2006.
- The deadliest season for drunk driving-related fatalities from 2018 to 2022 was summer, accounting for 28% of deaths.
- From 2018 to 2022, the deadliest week was the week of Labor Day, recording 1,278 DUI fatalities, or an annual average of 256 deaths.
- On New Year's Day, drunk driving-related deaths spiked 89% above the baseline average daily DUI fatalities, making it the most dangerous holiday of the year for drunk driving.
- 57% of drunk driving-related fatalities occurred on the weekends (Friday through Sunday).
DUI Fatalities by Season
Drunk driving occurs year-round, but certain seasons see higher rates of intoxicated drivers. Summer is the most dangerous time to drive. According to MoneyGeek's analysis, 28% of DUI-related deaths from 2018 to 2022 happened in the summer.
Fall is close behind summer in DUI fatalities per season, accounting for 26% of DUI-related deaths. Twenty-four percent of DUI deaths occurred in the spring. Winter presents its own seasonal dangers on the road, but drunk drivers remain a risk. At 22%, winter was the least likely season for DUI-related fatal accidents to occur.
Most Dangerous Holidays for DUIs
New Year's Day was the deadliest day of the year for drunk driving. Fatal accidents involving intoxicated drivers spiked 89% above baseline levels on this holiday. Unlike other holidays where celebrations span several days, New Year's parties concentrate into one night, sending drivers home in the early morning hours of January 1.
Labor Day ranked second with fatal DUI crashes 53% above the typical trend during the holiday weekend. July Fourth came in third at 46% above average, while Memorial Day weekend ranked fourth at 45% above baseline.
Most Dangerous Days of the Week for DUIs
Saturday was the most dangerous day of the week to drive, with more than 22% of all DUI-related accidents from 2018 to 2022 occurring on this day. Sunday ranked second at 20%. Many Sunday fatalities happened after midnight, technically occurring early Sunday morning following Saturday night celebrations.
Tuesday saw the fewest drunk drivers on the road. The data below shows total DUI fatalities from 2018 to 2022 and their percentage distribution by day of the week.
Most Dangerous Weeks of the Year for DUIs
The first week of September was the most dangerous week for drunk driving from 2018 to 2022, with 1,278 DUI fatalities during the Labor Day period. The first week of July, encompassing Independence Day, came in second with 1,229 fatalities. The fourth week of August ranked third with 1,208 deaths as summer celebrations wound down.
Memorial Day weekend in late May claimed 1,195 lives, ranking fourth. The holiday period brings increased travel, outdoor activities and social gatherings that contribute to higher DUI rates.
Month | Week of
the Month | Total
Fatalities | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|
9 | 1 | 1,278 | Labor Day |
7 | 1 | 1,229 | Independence Day |
8 | 4 | 1,208 | Pre-Labor Day weekend |
5 | 4 | 1,195 | Memorial Day |
7 | 3 | 1,193 | Mid-July |
6 | 2 | 1,189 | Father's Day, graduations |
9 | 3 | 1,186 | Football season starts |
8 | 1 | 1,175 | Early August |
6 | 3 | 1,175 | Mid-June |
6 | 4 | 1,173 | End of June |
Ways to Stay Safe on the Road
You can't control other drivers' decisions, but you can reduce your risk. Avoiding late-night drives on holidays helps, though it's not always practical. These strategies can keep you safer on the road.
- 1Have a designated driver
If you’re drinking with friends, make sure whoever is behind the wheel hasn’t been drinking.
- 2Create a return home plan
If everybody you are with will be drinking and there's no designated driver, know ahead of time who you’ll be calling for a ride home, whether that’s a family member or an Uber driver.
- 3Make sure you’re strapped in
Always wear your seatbelt, regardless of road conditions. Heather Geronemus, the national chairwoman of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), counsels, “The best defense against drunk drivers is to always wear your seatbelt and make sure children are properly restrained.”
- 4Drive without distractions
Whether you're sober or not, stay off the phone and keep your eyes on the road while driving, especially at night. Distracted driving rivals drunk driving as one of the most dangerous behaviors on the road. You can't always avoid an impaired driver careening toward your car, but staying alert could make all the difference.
Consequences of Getting a DUI
Heather Geronemus has become an expert on the consequences of drunk driving from the victim’s side. In 2009, her father, Dr. Robert Geronemus, a prominent kidney specialist in Fort Lauderdale, was leaving a medical conference dinner in downtown Miami as a pedestrian when he was struck by a car that went through a red light.
“Think about what DUIs cost families,” she says. “For a victim like me, you can't put a price on a lifetime of memories that you'll never make with a loved one.” But Geronemus says there's definitely a monetary cost. “From a money perspective, understand what DUIs cost society. Estimates show that drunk driving costs our nation over $130 billion per year. Much of these costs are borne by taxpayers, not the drunk driver. This issue affects us all, and it makes financial sense to try to eliminate drunk driving.” What’s the real financial cost for somebody who gets pulled over for driving while intoxicated? It’s not pretty.
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates a first-time drunk driver can pay as much as $10,000 in fines, legal fees, and higher car insurance costs,” Geronemus says.
A DUI continues to impact your wallet long after the initial violation. Insurance rates can rise sharply, putting the cheapest car insurance rates immediately out of your reach. You may also be required to file an SR-22, which you can't do on your own. Your insurance company must file the SR-22 for you, and not all insurance companies offer this option.
Whether or not you need an SR-22, shop around to see if your current insurance provider can still offer competitive auto insurance rates after a DUI. Another company might save you money.
If you've been drinking but don't feel drunk, don't skip calling a ride to save money. The short-term cost of getting home safely could save you thousands in DUI-related expenses and prevent tragedy.
An End to Drunk Driving
Heather Geronemus believes technology will eventually reduce drunk driving accidents, though not soon enough.
“MADD believes that technology will ultimately solve the problem of drunk driving. We are working on Capitol Hill to support legislation such as the RIDE Act and HALT Act, which would direct the Department of Transportation to require new cars to have advanced technology to detect and stop drunk drivers.”
"The technology would be passive, so drivers wouldn't know it's in the car unless they were impaired."
Until that technology becomes standard, defensive driving and zero-tolerance for drunk driving remain the best protection for everyone on the road.
Methodology
MoneyGeek analyzed the five most recent years of DUI Crash Fatalities from the NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database (2018 to 2022). We then compared the average fatalities during specific holiday periods to the average daily fatalities over these five years, which stood at 30 fatalities per day. To determine the most dangerous holidays for drunk driving, we considered the following holidays and related time periods:
- New Year's Day: Only the actual day.
- Memorial Day: Including the three days before the holiday.
- Independence Day: Including the day before and the day after the holiday.
- Labor Day: Including the three days before the holiday.
- Veterans Day: Only the actual day.
- Thanksgiving: Including the day before the holiday.
- Christmas Day: Including Christmas Eve.
For the analysis of the most dangerous weeks for DUI fatalities, each week was defined as a seven-day period starting Monday and ending Sunday. Additionally, we used this grouping to determine seasons for this analysis: Spring (March–May), Summer (June–August), Fall (September–November), and Winter (December–February).
Metrics Used
MoneyGeek studied NHTSA data on fatal motor vehicle crashes from 2018 to 2022 involving someone with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08g/dl or more.
About Geoff Williams
Geoff Williams has been a professional writer for over three decades and a personal finance journalist for over 15 years. He contributes financial content to MoneyGeek, with expertise in personal finance, real estate, entrepreneurship, credit cards and loans. He has been writing for various publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and CNNMoney. He also authored several books, including “Living Well with Bad Credit.”
Williams earned his creative writing degree from Indiana University Bloomington.