Minnesota Is NOT The Worst State For Drunk Driving, South Dakota Ranks 5th

This will be a hectic travel week as more people will be taking to the road driving for the Thanksgiving holiday. Celebrating with family and friends is a joyous time of the year. However, this is also one of the times we need to be smarter every year. Celebrate to the fullest, but leave the driving to someone who you can trust.

Forbes.com recently released findings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on how states ranked for drunk driving.

When you think about the survey in terms of good and bad there isn't any good news. That being said, Minnesota is one of the shining stars in this report.

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The North Star State ranked 42nd with 26.47 out of 100. 470.14 drivers received a DUI for every 100,000 licensed drivers. The survey also found that 27.2% of Minnesota traffic deaths in 2020 were caused by a drunk drivers.

Comparatively, South Dakota doesn't fare well. Ranking 5th with a score of 83.03 out of 100. 965.85 drivers received a DUI for every 100,000 licensed drivers. And, 34.8% of South Dakota traffic deaths in 2020 were caused by a drunk drivers.

Another sobering point, more than half of South Dakota drivers (52%) have witnessed a friend or family member who appeared intoxicated drive home from a holiday party. That’s the highest in the nation.

Topping the states with the drunkest drivers is the Big Sky Country. Montana topped the list. Nearly half of Montana traffic deaths (45%) in 2020 were caused by drunk drivers. That also ranked highest. The state had the second-highest number of drunk drivers under 21 involved in fatal crashes (0.9 per 100,000 licensed drivers), behind only Texas. And, Montana had the 10th highest DUI arrests per 100,000 licensed drivers (478.26).

We are just at the beginning of what's supposed to be a time for celebration and fun. Be happy, be thankful, and be smart.