40 DUI Statistics for 2026: Los Angeles, Orange County & CA

These are the latest DUI figures for Los Angeles County, Orange County, California, and the U.S., including crash and arrest data for 68 cities across both counties.

Key Takeaways

• 11,904 people die a year in alcohol-impaired crashes in the U.S., 30% of all traffic deaths.
• California’s share is higher, at 34%, with 1,311 deaths a year.
• LA County leads California in alcohol-related deaths and injuries but has the lowest rate in the state once population and miles driven are factored in.
• Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Pico Rivera and Anaheim post the worst alcohol-involved crash rates for their size in either county.

National DUI Statistics

1. 11,904 people a year die in alcohol-impaired crashes in the U.S.

That’s 30% of all traffic deaths nationwide, and down 3.9% from the year before. A crash counts as alcohol-impaired when at least one driver had a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.

2. Someone dies in an alcohol-impaired crash every 44 minutes

That works out to about 33 people a day. The year before, the total was 12,382.

3. 68% of alcohol-impaired deaths involve a driver at 0.15 or higher

That’s 8,097 of the 11,904 deaths, with a driver at nearly twice the legal limit. Drivers between 0.08 and 0.14 account for the other 3,807.

4. Drivers aged 21 to 24 have the highest impaired rate of any age group

28% of drivers aged 21 to 24 involved in a fatal crash were at 0.08 or above. Drivers 25 to 34 were close behind at 27%, and the rate falls steadily with age after that, down to 7% for drivers 75 and older.

5. Drivers under 25 are about 1 in 5 impaired drivers in fatal crashes

2,328 of the 11,367 alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes were between 15 and 24. 989 of them were under 21, the legal drinking age.

6. 221 children aged 14 and under die in alcohol-impaired crashes in a year

That’s 221 of the 1,032 children killed on U.S. roads. More than one in five child traffic deaths involves an alcohol-impaired driver.

7. 26% of motorcycle riders killed are alcohol-impaired

That’s 1,529 riders at 0.08 or above. More than one in four motorcyclists who die on U.S. roads was legally drunk.

8. 15.5 million American adults drive under the influence of alcohol in a year

That’s 5.9% of people 16 and older, by their own account in a federal survey. Another 12.1 million said they drove under the influence of cannabis, per CDC.

9. Alcohol-related crashes cost $69 billion a year in economic losses

NHTSA’s figure covers medical bills, property damage, lost productivity, and emergency response. CDC puts the total at $143 billion once it assigns a value to lives lost.

California DUI Statistics

10. 1,311 people a year die in alcohol-impaired crashes in California

That’s roughly three and a half deaths a day statewide. The total fell from 1,355 the year before.

11. Alcohol-impaired crashes account for 34% of California traffic deaths

The national figure is 30%. California’s share has risen from 28% a decade earlier.

12. 912 California deaths a year involve a driver at 0.15 or higher

That’s 24% of everyone killed on California roads, alcohol-related or not. Nearly 7 in 10 of the state’s alcohol-impaired deaths involve a driver at that level.

13. California’s traffic death rate is 1.26 per 100 million miles driven

That’s down from 1.34 the year before, per the Office of Traffic Safety. Measuring by miles driven rather than population accounts for how much Californians actually drive.

14. California makes 110,017 DUI arrests a year

That’s about 300 arrests a day. The DMV’s count covers every police and sheriff’s agency in the state, not just the Highway Patrol.

15. DUI arrests in California have fallen 39% over a decade

Arrests dropped from 180,212 to 110,017. The arrest rate nearly halved over the same stretch, from 752 to 401 per 100,000 licensed drivers.

16. About two in three DUI arrests end in a conviction

In the DMV’s latest figures, 66.6% of DUI arrests led to a conviction, down from 73.3% a decade earlier. Pandemic-era court closures account for part of the drop.

17. CHP has made more than 50,900 DUI arrests so far in 2026

That’s the Highway Patrol alone, through late September. CHP also ran 75 sobriety checkpoints and 154 saturation patrols over the same stretch.

Los Angeles County DUI Statistics

18. LA County has more alcohol-impaired deaths than any other California county

265 people a year, per UC Berkeley SafeTREC. Riverside County is second at 115, followed by San Bernardino at 113.

19. 589 people a year are seriously injured in alcohol-involved crashes in LA County

That’s also the most of any California county. Riverside County is second at 277, and San Bernardino third at 264.

20. 6,200 people a year are killed or injured in alcohol-involved crashes in LA County

Adjusted for population and miles driven, that’s the lowest rate of California’s 58 counties. The Office of Traffic Safety ranks it 58 of 58, where 1 is worst.

21. LA County records 19,631 DUI arrests a year

That’s up 10.4% from the year before. LA County accounts for about 18% of all DUI arrests in California.

Los Angeles City DUI Statistics

The Office of Traffic Safety ranks each city against California cities of similar population. Rank 1 is the worst rate.

22. The City of Los Angeles has 1,508 people killed or injured in alcohol-involved crashes a year

The city also logs 3,515 DUI arrests. It ranks 14 of 15 among California cities over 250,000, close to the best rate in its group.

23. Long Beach has the second-worst alcohol-involved crash rate of California’s largest cities

373 people were killed or injured, ranking 2 of 15. Its overall crash rate is the worst in the group.

24. Beverly Hills has the worst overall crash rate of any California city its size

611 people were killed or injured in a city of 31,984, ranking 1 of 93. It ranks 2 of 93 for alcohol-involved crashes, with 44 victims.

25. West Hollywood ranks 4th worst of 93 for alcohol-involved crashes

46 people were killed or injured, in a city of 35,250. Together with Beverly Hills, it holds two of the four worst spots in that 93-city group.

26. Pico Rivera ranks 4th worst of 103 for alcohol-involved crashes

61 people were killed or injured among 60,859 residents. No LA County city of its size ranks worse.

27. Lancaster has the worst overall crash rate among California cities of 100,000 to 250,000

It ranks 1 of 62 overall and 8 of 62 for alcohol-involved crashes, with 144 victims. In total, 1,541 people were killed or injured in crashes there.

28. Glendale has the lowest alcohol-involved crash rate of any California city of its size

28 people were killed or injured among 191,706 residents, ranking 62 of 62. Neighboring Burbank ranks 41 of 62, with 37 victims.

Orange County DUI Statistics

29. Orange County has 72 alcohol-impaired deaths a year

That ranks fifth among California’s 58 counties, behind Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. Neither Orange nor LA County is among the five worst per capita, which are all rural.

30. 1,771 people a year are killed or injured in alcohol-involved crashes in Orange County

Adjusted for population and miles driven, it ranks 57 of 58, the second-lowest rate in the state. Only LA County ranks lower.

31. Orange County DUI arrests rose 24.2% in a single year

Arrests climbed from 7,885 to 9,790. Orange County has a third of LA County’s population and makes about half as many DUI arrests.

32. Anaheim has the worst alcohol-involved crash rate of any large city in LA or Orange County

225 people were killed or injured, ranking 4 of 15 among California cities over 250,000. Its overall crash rate ranks 5 of 15, with 2,135 people killed or injured.

33. Irvine has the lowest alcohol-involved crash rate of any large city in California

55 people were killed or injured among 316,119 residents, ranking 15 of 15. Anaheim, with a similar population, had four times as many.

34. Huntington Beach ranks 7th worst of 62 for alcohol-involved crashes

172 people were killed or injured in alcohol-involved crashes. Police there made 504 DUI arrests, the third-most in Orange County.

35. Costa Mesa makes more DUI arrests than any other Orange County city

791 a year, about 7 per 1,000 residents. Anaheim, with three times the population, makes 659.

36. Newport Beach ranks 13th worst of 103 for alcohol-involved crashes

71 people were killed or injured in alcohol-involved crashes. The city also made 399 DUI arrests, about 5 for every 1,000 residents.

37. Laguna Beach ranks 10th worst of 103 for alcohol-involved crashes

22 people were killed or injured in a city of 22,759. Police there made 186 DUI arrests, about 8 per 1,000 residents, and among the highest rates in Orange County.

California DUI Laws in 2026

38. The legal limit is 0.08, but 0.04 for rideshare drivers with a passenger

Commercial drivers are also held to 0.04. Drivers under 21 and anyone on DUI probation are held to 0.01. California has not moved to 0.05, and Utah remains the only state that has.

39. California’s ignition interlock requirement now covers offenses through 2032

AB 366 extended the statewide program, which was set to expire January 1, 2026. A first DUI involving injury requires an interlock for one year. For a first non-injury DUI, a judge may order one for up to six months.

40. Only about 15% of California DUI offenders install an ignition interlock

About a quarter of those legally required to install one do so within two years. Those who do are less likely to be arrested for DUI or crash again.

City-by-City DUI Data

Alcohol-involved victims are people killed or injured in a crash where a party had been drinking. Ranks are within each city’s population group, and 1 is the worst rate.

Los Angeles County Cities

City	Population	Alcohol-Involved Victims	Rank	DUI Arrests
Los Angeles	3,819,600	1,508	14/15	3,515
Long Beach	460,545	373	2/15	423
Santa Clarita	231,573	57	57/62	201
Glendale	191,706	28	62/62	331
Lancaster	174,629	144	8/62	6
Palmdale	166,580	67	38/62	170
Pomona	152,005	70	30/62	226
Torrance	143,410	50	43/62	123
Pasadena	140,054	65	33/62	166
Downey	111,891	58	27/62	182
West Covina	109,657	33	48/62	96
El Monte	107,104	74	10/62	205
Inglewood	106,617	23	58/62	105
Burbank	105,842	37	41/62	263
Norwalk	101,416	20	59/62	40
Compton	93,699	16	94/103	23
Santa Monica	93,034	44	36/103	167
South Gate	92,883	71	9/103	241
Carson	91,749	29	65/103	73
Whittier	87,820	48	27/103	125
Hawthorne	85,868	56	20/103	238
Alhambra	82,197	10	98/103	117
Lakewood	80,517	28	60/103	145
Bellflower	76,902	32	41/103	68
Baldwin Park	70,685	13	88/103	114
Redondo Beach	68,319	52	8/103	196
Lynwood	66,360	8	96/103	15
Montebello	62,243	32	30/103	59
Pico Rivera	60,859	61	4/103	36
Monterey Park	59,349	22	55/103	37
Arcadia	56,044	21	56/103	76
Diamond Bar	53,577	4	101/103	23
Huntington Park	53,223	31	21/103	114
Paramount	52,415	27	24/103	25
Glendora	51,289	13	71/103	74
Covina	50,625	20	48/103	164
Cerritos	48,005	2	89/93	3
Culver City	40,340	21	34/93	160
West Hollywood	35,250	46	4/93	84
Manhattan Beach	34,111	16	32/93	94
Beverly Hills	31,984	44	2/93	94
El Segundo	17,001	12	22/103	86
Commerce	12,185	14	12/103	13
Industry	432	9	2/32	21

Orange County Cities

City	Population	Alcohol-Involved Victims	Rank	DUI Arrests
Anaheim	342,054	225	4/15	659
Irvine	316,119	55	15/15	349
Santa Ana	313,210	109	12/15	311
Huntington Beach	193,510	172	7/62	504
Garden Grove	171,282	71	36/62	113
Fullerton	141,909	85	23/62	299
Orange	138,403	78	25/62	499
Costa Mesa	110,048	84	9/62	791
Mission Viejo	91,993	12	99/103	147
Westminster	90,181	39	47/103	221
Lake Forest	87,553	22	77/103	145
Newport Beach	82,995	71	13/103	399
Buena Park	82,772	19	86/103	114
Tustin	79,449	29	58/103	121
Yorba Linda	66,573	11	92/103	76
Laguna Niguel	64,834	13	89/103	81
San Clemente	63,085	18	68/103	94
La Habra	61,236	30	29/103	168
Fountain Valley	56,612	23	50/103	135
Placentia	52,653	21	42/103	100
Cypress	49,563	17	51/93	41
Brea	48,101	25	31/93	116
San Juan Capistrano	35,247	5	76/93	21
Laguna Beach	22,759	22	10/103	186

Hit by a Drunk Driver?

A DUI crash usually generates its own evidence through the criminal case: the police report, the chemical test, the arrest record, and any conviction. California also allows punitive damages against drunk drivers in many cases, which an ordinary negligence claim does not.

Here’s what to do if you’re hit by a drunk driver. Our guide to California DUI laws covers penalties in more depth, and the holiday drunk driving statistics break down the riskiest times of year.

About this Data

Every figure in this post is the most recent each agency has published. Crash and arrest records take time to finalize, so federal data runs about 18 months behind, California’s Office of Traffic Safety about two years, and DMV arrest and conviction data longer still.

Source	Data Year	Published
NHTSA alcohol-impaired fatalities (national and California)	2024	June 2026
OTS city and county crash rankings	2023	2025
UC Berkeley SafeTREC county figures	2023	2025
OTS traffic death rate	2023	July 2025
SAMHSA impaired driving survey (via CDC)	2023	2024
CA DMV DUI arrests	2021	March 2025
CA DMV DUI convictions	2020	March 2025
NHTSA economic cost	2019	February 2023
CDC comprehensive cost	2022	2024
CHP arrests, checkpoints and patrols	2026, through September 25	September 2026

Impaired vs. involved. NHTSA’s “alcohol-impaired” counts deaths in fatal crashes where a driver was at 0.08 or above. OTS’s “alcohol-involved” counts people killed or injured in any crash where an officer noted a party had been drinking, with no BAC threshold. The two measures cover different things and can’t be compared directly.

Rankings. OTS ranks cities within population groups (A: over 250,000; B: 100,001 to 250,000; C: 50,001 to 100,000; D: 25,001 to 50,000; E: 10,001 to 25,000; G: under 2,501), weighting crash counts by population and daily vehicle miles traveled. Rank 1 is the worst rate. Counties are ranked against all 58 counties.

DUI arrests by city. Not every city reports DUI arrests to the state Department of Justice. Cities that contract with the Sheriff’s Department for policing often show very low counts (Lancaster: 6), so arrest figures shouldn’t be compared between cities.

Excluded. Gardena and Seal Beach are ranked by OTS but report near-zero crash totals that are inconsistent with every comparable city, likely a reporting gap. Avalon, Irwindale, Santa Fe Springs, and Rosemead were not retrieved.

Talk to a Car Accident Lawyer

If you were involved in an accident with a drunk driver, call DK Law. We offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning only get paid if we recover money for you. If you were hurt in a car crash anywhere in California, reach out to DK Law.

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Call us at 833-415-1770 or request a free case evaluation today.