Top 20 Drunk Driving Cities Ranked

San Diego and San Jose, California rank number one and number two respectively for drivers with alcohol-related driving violations, according to an Insurance.com survey of 20 major metropolitan cities in the United States.

The insurance aggregator analyzed data and information reported by users seeking car insurance quotes over the last three years. While factors such as proximity to colleges or nightlife may play a role in a city’s level of alcohol-related driving violations, stringent enforcement could play a key role in determining a city’s rank among the list of 20.

Insurance.com’s study analyzed the percentage of its car insurance online quote requests for which users reported alcohol-related driving violations. Only the top 20 U.S. cities, in terms of population, were ranked. Boston was excluded due to lack of data.

Insurance.com says its rankings mean individuals driving drunk in these cities can expect a higher risk of getting caught. Insurance carriers factor alcohol-related driving histories into actuarial, risk management and underwriting practices.

Here are the rankings for 20 major metropolitan cities in the U.S. in terms of percentage of drivers reporting alcohol-related driving violations, according to Insurance.com data:

1. San Diego, CA

2. San Jose, CA

3. Charlotte, NC

4. Phoenix, AZ

5. Columbus, OH

6. Indianapolis, IN

7. Los Angeles, CA

8. San Francisco, CA

9. Austin, TX

10. Jacksonville, FL

11. San Antonio, TX

12. Dallas, TX

13. Houston, TX

14. Fort Worth, TX

15. Memphis, TN

16. Philadelphia, PA

17. New York, NY

18. Baltimore, MD

19. Chicago, IL

20. Detroit, MI

Insurance.com’s article, "The U.S. Cities with the Most Drunk Driving Offenders," offers analysis of the new rankings. The article explores possible reasons for the relative rankings of cities, including the possibility that increased enforcement strategies—such as sobriety checkpoints and mobile DUI units—contribute to higher incidence of drunk driving violations.