On average, at least 1 person is killed by a drunk driver in the United States every hour.

The story behind the answer

True—federal crash data show that, in recent years, someone in the U.S. is killed by a drunk driver about every 39–45 minutes, averaging well over one death per hour. Alcohol-impaired crashes account for roughly a third of all traffic fatalities, with more than 13,000 lives lost in 2022 alone.

To remember it, think: “Every hour on the hour, a family loses someone to drunk driving.” Even small amounts of alcohol slow reaction time and judgment; that’s why the legal limit is 0.08% BAC, but impairment can begin lower. The lifesavers are simple: plan a sober ride, use ride-shares, or stay put. This sobering frequency highlights how routine choices—keys or no keys—ripple into life-or-death outcomes.