About 32 people were killed every day in drunk-driving crashes in 2020, a 14% increase from the previous year, according to the latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Administration. Drivers ages of 21 to 34 are most likely to drive while drunk, and men are more likely to be involved in such crashes, which helps to explain why car-insurance premiums are higher for young adults. (Drunk or sober, see the 20 car accidents Americans get in the most.)
On average, there were 19 DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) citations per 1,000 drivers nationwide in the previous seven years, motor vehicle insurance data company Insurify estimates. But some car models are outliers to this national average, particularly older cars, with considerably more DUIs per 1,000 drivers. Perhaps the reason is they are more likely to have been purchased by cash-strapped young adults.
To identify the 15 car models with the most DUIs, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from Insurify’s report, The Car Models with the Most DUIs in 2021. Vehicles are ranked based on the number of DUIs on record per 1,000 drivers of each model. Insurify identified the vehicles with the highest share of drivers cited for a DUI in the past seven years as the car models with the most DUIs in 2021.
The company said it examined a database of more than 4 million car insurance applications covering 415 different vehicle types to determine the passenger vehicles most likely to be driven by buzzed drivers in 2021. The top 15 vehicles have between 85% and 143% more drivers that have had at least one DUI in recent years than the national average. (These are the states where car deaths are increasing the most.)
The list includes five models that fall under the entry-level luxury category or higher: three BMWs, a Jaguar, and an Audi. Most of the cars on the list are more budget friendly, and eight have been discontinued, including the Chevrolet Astro van, the Pontiac Bonneville full-size sedan, and the GMC C1500 pickup truck.
Here are the car models with the most DUIs.
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15. Ford Escort
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 35.2
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14. BMW 4-Series
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 35.4
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13. Chevrolet Blazer
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 35.8
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12. Dodge Intrepid
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 36.1
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11. Pontiac Bonneville
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 36.7
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10. BMW 7-Series
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 38.5
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9. Audi A4 allroad
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 39.0
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8. Jaguar S-Type
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 41.8
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7. Chrysler Concorde
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 42.0
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6. BMW 2-Series
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 42.6
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5. Acura Integra
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 43.0
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4. Mazda3
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 43.1
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3. Chevrolet Caprice
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 43.3
2. Chevrolet Astro
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 44.5
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1. GMC C1500
> DUI’s per 1,000 drivers: 46.2
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