Washington makes top 20 list of states with most drunken drivers

As the Washington State Patrol gears up for extra DUI patrols on Black Friday, a new national report shows Washington made the top 20 list of states with the most drunken drivers.

It’s an obvious reminder to stay safe on the roads as more than a million people in Washington will be traveling 50 miles or more for the Thanksgiving holiday starting Wednesday.

The study by CarInsuranceComparison.com looked at data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and analyzed crashes in five categories:

• Fatalities per 100 million miles traveled
• Failure to obey traffic signals or wear seat belts
• Drunken driving
• Speeding
• Careless driving

Texas and Louisiana tied for the top spot for the worst drivers overall, with South Carolina, North Dakota, Delaware, New Mexico, Nevada, Alabama, Arizona and Montana also making the top ten.

While Washington didn't make that list, it did come in as the 13th state with the most drunken drivers, the study showed, with North Dakota coming in at number 1.

The latest statistics show that in 2015, DUI arrests actually went down slightly statewide, but the number of people taken into custody for speeding and aggressive driving in Washington increased.

Meanwhile, as a deterrent, the state patrol is letting drivers know that troopers’ DUI emphasis patrols on Friday will be focused on I-5, I-90, I-405 and State Route 520 leading in an out of metropolitan areas.

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Cox Media Group