TEXAS, USA — An alarming study for Texas drivers says the state has some of the most drunk driving in the country.
A recent study published by Zutobi says Texas has the fifth most drunk driving among all 50 states.
Texas received a DUI Severity Score of 64.4 by Zutobi, ranking it behind Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and North Dakota, all of which had scores over 70.
The scores are calculated by taking DUI arrests per 100,000 drivers, DUI fatalities per 100,000 drivers, DUI road fatalities versus all road fatalities, and Total DUI road fatalities.
What the study found was that while Texas did not have a particularly high DUI arrest rate, it did have high DUI fatality rates.
Texas also saw a 12.2 percent increase in total DUI road fatalities.
The study also found that drunk driving is more common drivers under 34 years old.
Zutobi says the data was found through the NHTSA crash data tool, the Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST) and NSC injury data.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the increase in drunk driving fatalities is due to overall increased alcohol sales during the COVID-19 pandemic.