California, Texas, and Florida Lead the Nation in Holiday Drunk Driving Deaths

A new study from The Schiller Kessler Group of holiday roadway deaths reveals a stark reality about impaired driving in America: the burden is not shared evenly across the map. Between 2019 and 2023, the United States recorded 186,283 fatal motor vehicle crashes, leading to 202,214 deaths, and roughly 30% of those fatalities involved drunk driving. While holiday periods consistently coincide with spikes in impaired driving, the study’s state-by-state analysis shows that a small group of high-population, high-travel states bear a disproportionate share of alcohol-related deaths—especially during major holiday windows.

The study examined five key holiday periods—Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas- and identified which states experienced the highest number of drunk driving fatalities across those travel windows. The findings highlight both predictable factors (population size and travel volume) and deeper regional patterns (limited transit options, long driving distances, and holiday drinking culture).

The Top States for Holiday Drunk Driving Fatalities

Across the five holiday windows studied, California recorded the highest number of drunk driving deaths, totaling 1,126 fatalities. With a massive population, sprawling freeways, and year-round tourism that intensifies during major holiday weeks, California’s road network becomes a high-exposure environment where impaired driving can have deadly consequences.

Texas followed closely with 1,028 holiday drunk driving fatalities, reflecting the state’s extensive road system, long rural-to-urban travel routes, and holiday traditions often built around outdoor gatherings and extended weekend celebrations. The study notes that long-distance travel increases the likelihood of highway-speed crashes—and when alcohol is involved, the odds of fatal injury rise sharply.

Florida ranked third with 924 deaths, driven by a combination of resident travel and seasonal tourism surges that swell traffic during holiday periods. Florida’s mix of urban corridors, coastal travel routes, and heavy nightlife activity can concentrate impaired driving risk, particularly when late-night returns align with peak congestion.

The Bigger Story: Southern and Southeastern States Show Disproportionate Risk

Beyond the top three, the dataset reveals a deeper national trend: Southern and Southeastern states experience especially high holiday drunk driving fatalities relative to their population size. Georgia recorded 461 holiday drunk driving deaths, while North Carolina recorded 412, placing both states among the highest-burden states nationally.

The study suggests several drivers behind this pattern. Many Southern states have limited public transportation options, creating conditions where driving becomes the default choice even after alcohol-centric gatherings. Long travel distances, especially between suburbs, smaller towns, and city centers, can also increase exposure during the most dangerous hours of the night. When holiday travel volume rises, these structural factors combine with celebration drinking to create recurring fatality spikes.

Other states with notable holiday drunk driving totals include Illinois (333) and Ohio (330), demonstrating that impaired driving risk persists even in regions with major urban hubs and strong law-enforcement infrastructure. Pennsylvania (286) and South Carolina (278) also ranked high, with holiday travel corridors and nighttime driving likely contributing to increased danger.

Holidays, Alcohol, and the Travel-Window Effect

One of the study’s key insights is that holiday danger is shaped by both alcohol use and the timing of travel. Some holidays are associated with “compressed” travel windows—meaning large numbers of people are on the road within a short, highly concentrated time period, often at night. This can intensify risk beyond the baseline level of drinking.

Nationally, the study found that Independence Day produced the highest number of drunk driving fatalities overall, with 2,653 alcohol-impaired deaths across 2019–2023. Labor Day (2,531) and Thanksgiving (2,507) followed closely, while Memorial Day (2,343) also showed major alcohol-related fatality totals. Even Christmas recorded 1,621 drunk driving deaths, lower than the summer holidays, but still a substantial number.

These patterns highlight that drunk driving risk is not confined to a single “party holiday.” Multiple major holiday windows produce high levels of alcohol-impaired fatalities, and high-burden states often experience repeat spikes across more than one holiday each year.

BAC and Why Impairment Turns Crashes Fatal

The study also underscores why alcohol impairment is so dangerous during holiday driving. Blood alcohol content (BAC) rises when alcohol is consumed faster than the body can metabolize it. In most states, the legal limit for drivers 21+ is 0.08% BAC, though limits can vary by state and may change over time.

As BAC increases, coordination declines, reaction time slows, and judgment becomes impaired. At higher levels of impairment, the likelihood of losing control, failing to recognize hazards, or misjudging speed and distance rises sharply. When impaired driving combines with highway speeds and holiday congestion, crashes that might otherwise be survivable become far more likely to be fatal.

What These Findings Suggest

The study concludes that high-burden states need interventions that match their risk profile—especially during the most dangerous holiday windows. Enforcement efforts, sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and targeted prevention messaging may be most impactful when focused on the holidays that repeatedly show the highest fatality counts. The data also supports expanding safe-ride alternatives and strengthening prevention strategies in regions where transit limitations make driving the default option after drinking.

About the Study
This analysis examines U.S. fatal crash data from 2019 to 2023 and compares holiday travel windows to identify the holidays and states with the highest numbers of drunk driving fatalities.