LendingTree went in search of the worst cities for drunk driving<\/a> in the United States, based on DUI rates, insurance premiums and more.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine<\/a> narrowed the 10 most dangerous cities for drunk driving, looking at the percentage of fatal crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s which California cities landed on both lists:<\/p>\n Why is Fresno one of the worst cities for drunk drivers?<\/p>\n Fresno ranked second in the nation in terms of fatal crashes involving drunk drivers, according to the study by The Law Firms of Anidjar & Levine.<\/p>\n About 34.5% of fatal crashes in the Central Valley city between 2019 and 2023 involved at least one driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher, the study found.<\/p>\n Fresno saw an average of 21 DUI-related fatalities each year, according to The Law Firms of Anidjar & Levine.<\/p>\n According to LendingTree, Fresno reported 3.31 DUIs per 1,000 drivers in 2024, making it the fifth-worst city for drunk driving in 2025.<\/p>\n Fresno jumped up a place from the previous year, when it was No. 6 on LendingTree\u2019s list of the worst U.S. cities for DUIs.<\/a><\/p>\n What makes Sacramento a top city for DUI deaths?<\/p>\n Sacramento ranked sixth in the nation, according to the study by The Law Firms of Anidjar & Levine.<\/p>\n Nearly 28% of fatal crashes in California\u2019s capital city between 2019 and 2023 involved at least one driver with a blood alcohol level above the legal limit, the study found.<\/p>\n Sacramento had 16 DUI-related fatalities a year on average, the law firm said.<\/p>\n According to LendingTree\u2019s study, Sacramento had 3.55 DUIs per 1,000 drivers in 2024, making it the third-worst city for drunk driving in 2025.<\/p>\n The city previously placed second on LendingTree\u2019s list.<\/p>\n What were 10 most dangerous cities for drunk driving?<\/p>\n According to The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, these were the 10 most dangerous U.S. cities for DUI-related fatal crashes:<\/p>\n 1. Colorado Springs, Colorado2. Fresno3. Arlington, Virginia4. Las Vegas5. Oakland6. Sacramento7. Dallas8. Denver9. Jacksonville, Florida10. Houston<\/p>\n To determine its rankings, the Florida personal injury law firm said it analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data for drunk driving-related fatalities from 2019 to 2023 across the 50 most populous cities.<\/p>\n Why are DUI rates so high in California cities?<\/p>\n \u201cCalifornia drivers in several cities have particularly high DUI rates,\u201d LendingTree said in its 2025 study. \u201cAmong the 10 largest U.S. cities with the highest DUI rates, six are in California.\u201d<\/p>\n San Jose came in second place on LendingTree\u2019s list of the major U.S. cities with the highest DUI rates, while Long Beach was No. 7, Bakersfield was No. 8 and Oakland was No. 9.<\/p>\n Rob Bhatt, LendingTree auto insurance expert and licensed insurance agent, identified California\u2019s climate and tough DUI laws as major contributing factors.<\/p>\n \u201cWarm weather entices people to gather, often with alcohol,\u201d Bhatt said in the study. \u201cA lack of transit may lead many to drive when they should use alternative transportation. Stricter enforcement of DUI laws can certainly also be a factor in high DUI rates, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Where do insurance costs increase most after DUIs?<\/p>\n LendingTree also looked at DUI rates by age group and vehicle make, as well as the U.S. cities where auto insurance premiums rose the most after DUI convictions.<\/p>\n Seven of the 10 cities where drivers saw the largest increases in insurance costs after DUIs were in California, the LendingTree study found.<\/p>\n Los Angeles was the highest ranking city on that list, coming in fourth place.<\/p>\n \u201cThe high rates for DUI offenders suggest that impaired drivers cause particularly costly injuries and damage in California,\u201d Bhatt said. \u201cInsurance companies recoup their costs by charging high rates to the drivers that create the greatest expenses for them.\u201d<\/p>\n However, there were no California locations on LendingTree\u2019s list of the U.S. cities with the highest percentages of fatal crashes involving drunken drivers.<\/p>\n What are top 10 worst cities for drunk driving?<\/p>\n These were the worst 10 cities for drunk driving in 2025, according to LendingTree:<\/p>\n 1. Omaha, Nebraska2. San Jose3. Sacramento4. Virginia Beach, Virginia 5. Fresno6. Minneapolis7. Long Beach8. Bakersfield9. Oakland10. \u00a0New York City<\/p>\n LendingTree said its researchers \u201canalyzed tens of millions\u201d of QuoteWizard by LendingTree insurance quotes from 2024 and calculated the number of DUIs per 1,000 drivers in the 50 largest U.S. cities by population.<\/p>\n The site used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services, which were publicly sourced from insurer filings.<\/p>\n LendingTree researchers also analyzed 2023 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration\u2019s Fatality Analysis Reporting System \u2014 the same data used in the Anidjar & Levine study.<\/p>\n Loading\u2026<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n
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