In 2022, Texas was the state recording the highest volume of fatalities resulting from alcohol-impaired driving at ***** number of fatalities, followed by California, which reported around ***** fatalities from drunk driving. These two states alone, out of 51, account for nearly ********* of the total fatalities incurred by alcohol-impaired driving. The Golden state amounted to the largest share of motor vehicle registrations in the country in 2021.

Motor-vehicle deaths in the United States have decreased greatly since the 1970s and 1980s. In 2023, there were around **** deaths from motor vehicles per 100,000 population, compared to a rate of **** deaths per 100,000 in 1970. Laws requiring drivers and passengers to wear safety belts and advancements in safety technology in vehicles are major drivers for these reductions. Motor-vehicle accidents in the U.S. Americans spend a significant amount of time behind the wheel. Many cities lack convenient and reliable public transportation and, especially in rural areas, cars are a necessary means of transportation. In 2020, August was the month with the highest number of fatal crashes, followed by September and June. The deadliest time of day for fatal vehicle crashes is between * and * p.m., most likely due to the after-work rush hour and more people who are under the influence of alcohol. Drinking and driving among youth Drinking and driving remains a relevant problem across the United States and can be especially problematic among younger people. In 2023, around *** percent of those aged 21 to 25 years in the United States reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the preceding year. Furthermore, around ***** percent of those aged 16 to 20 drove after drinking within the past year.

Data Source: California Office of Traffic Safety

This data biography shares the how, who, what, where, when, and why about this dataset. We, the epidemiology team at Napa County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division, created it to help you understand where the data we analyze and share comes from. If you have any further questions, we can be reached at epidemiology@countyofnapa.org.

Data dashboard featuring this data: https://data.countyofnapa.org/stories/s/abqu-wcty

Why was the data collected?  California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) ranking metric is a tool used to compare similarly sized cities on traffic safety statistics. A smaller the assigned number means that the city is ranked higher, and a higher ranking means the city has worse traffic safety compared to similar locations.

How was the data collected? Crash data comes from Statewide Traffic Records System (SWITRS). This system collects and processes data gathered from a collision scene. Population estimates come from California Department of Finance (DoF), which are based on changes in births, deaths, domestic migration, and international migration. Estimates are developed using aggregate data from a variety of sources, including birth and death counts provided by the Department of Public Health, driver's license data from the Department of Motor Vehicles, housing unit data from local governments, school enrollment data from the Department of Education, and federal income tax return data from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled (DVMT) come from California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The Traffic Data Branch at Caltrans estimates the number of vehicle miles that motorists traveled on California State Highways using a sampling of up to 20 traffic monitoring sites and reports on that data. Crash rankings are based on a ranking method that assigns statistical weights to categories including observed crash counts, population, and vehicle miles traveled. Counties are assigned statewide rankings, while cities are assigned population group rankings. DUI arrests data comes from the Department of Justice.

Who was included and excluded from the data & Where was the data collected? Data for the rankings is taken from Incorporated cities only. This includes local streets and state highways within city limits that share jurisdiction with the CHP. DUI arrest data is only available for cities that report it to the Department of Justice. Data from the OTS crash was sources specifically for Napa County, the City of Napa, American Canyon, Calistoga, St. Helena and Yountville.

When was the data collected? 2017-2022

Where can I learn more about this data? Office of traffic safety: https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings/ Methodology: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/24410

This statistic shows the number of cases of driving under the influence (DUI) in Colorado that involved cannabis from 2014 to 2016. According to the data, the number of cannabis only DUIs in Colorado increased from 354 in 2014 to 385 in 2016.

This statistic shows the percentage of youth aged 12 to 20 years who drove while under the influence of alcohol or in combination of illegal drugs in the past year in the U.S. from 1995 to 2015. In 2015, approximately four percent of underage individuals drove while drunk in the past year.