Is Washington State Ranked #1 Worst in Nation for Drunk Driving?

Is Washington State Ranked #1 Worst in Nation for Drunk Driving?

Over the weekend in Tri-Cities, we had several DUI arrests and one even including a Washington State Patrol officer. Our sister station KONA-AM is following the story.

Does Washington Hold the Crown for the Worst Drunk Driving Rates in America?

Many years ago when I lived in Yakima, I was following a car that had a drunk driver at the helm.

I was coming down Nob Hill Blvd and saw them ahead of my car. I had my family with me, so I backed off because they swerved all over the road.

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They didn't get very far before they slammed into a light pole a few blocks up, but it was scary for a moment, and luckily no one got hurt.

As the news story has broken about the WSP officer, it got me thinking.

Is Washington State ranked high for DUIs in the state, and what is our ranking compared against other states in the nation?

I did a little digging and was surprised that our neighbor Oregon ranks higher than we do when it comes to driving drunk.

According to Forbes.com, Montana is #1 for Driving While Under the Influence in the nation, but Oregon comes in at #6 on the list

Driving Under the Influence: Is Washington State Taking Home the 'Worst' Trophy?

Surprise, out of 50 states, Washington State is ranked 27th. It would be nice if that number was 50th because that would be a good ranking.

Forbes says:

Montana ranks as the worst state for drunk driving, with 8.57 drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes for every 100,000 licensed drivers, and 7.14 people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver for every 100,000 state residents. Both rates are the highest in the nation.

Washington State has a long way to go to clean up our act, but remember its not worth it to drink and drive - we've got UBERS and cabs and so many other options than getting behind the wheel and driving drunk.

You can read the complete ranking here.