California Counties With the Deadliest DUI Outcomes Identified – Risk Varies Sharply by Location

Where DUI Has the Worst Consequences in California: Counties With the Highest Driving Risk Revealed

• Trinity County ranks first statewide, recording the highest overall DUI Driving Risk score of 96.1 in California.
• Amador County follows closely with a DUI Driving Risk score of 95.0, while Lassen County ranks third at 78.6.
• At the opposite end of the spectrum, densely populated counties post significantly lower risk scores despite far higher raw crash counts. San Francisco records a DUI Driving Risk score of just 16.2.

Before a driver ever turns the key after drinking, the location within California can dramatically influence the outcome of a DUI crash. Some counties see far higher proportions of DUI-related fatalities and serious injuries than others, even when total crash counts are relatively low. At the same time, densely populated counties like Los Angeles report the highest absolute number of DUI crashes, with 4,341 incidents between 2020 and 2024, implying that impaired driving is a risk everywhere, from rural backroads to major urban corridors.

The research by a Burbank-based personal injury law firm, the Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti, analyzed county-level DUI collision trends using data from the UC Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS). The study examined average annual DUI crash data from 2020 through 2024, including total DUI crashes, DUI-related fatalities, and DUI crashes resulting in fatal or serious injuries. Using a weighted scoring model with a DUI Fatality Risk Score (60 points) and a DUI Fatal & Serious Injury Risk Score (40 points), each county was evaluated to produce a composite DUI Driving Risk Score out of 100. The ranking of counties statewide helped identify where DUI crashes had the most severe and deadly consequences, which emphasized outcome severity rather than raw crash volume.

Trinity County ranks first with a DUI Driving Risk: 96.1/100 (DUI Fatality Risk: 60/60 and DUI Fatal & Serious Injury Risk: 36/40). In Trinity County, 22% of DUI crashes led to fatalities, while 57% of DUI crashes resulted in fatal and serious injuries between 2020 and 2024.

Amador County ranks second with a DUI Driving Risk: 95/100 (DUI Fatality Risk: 59/60 and DUI Fatal & Serious Injury Risk: 36/40). In Amador County, 21% of DUI crashes led to fatalities, while 57% of DUI crashes resulted in fatal and serious injuries between 2020 and 2024.

Lassen County ranks third with a DUI Driving Risk: 78.6/100 (DUI Fatality Risk: 43/60 and DUI Fatal & Serious Injury Risk: 35/40). In Lassen County, 16% of DUI crashes led to fatalities, while 56% of DUI crashes resulted in fatal and serious injuries between 2020 and 2024.

Commenting on the findings, Adrianos Facchetti said:

“DUI crashes don’t become deadly by chance. They escalate when alcohol impairment intersects with long rural roadways, higher travel speeds, limited enforcement, and delayed emergency response. The danger builds quietly, normalized by routine driving after drinking, until one moment changes multiple lives forever.

“In counties like Los Angeles, where crash volume is extremely high, the combination of alcohol, traffic density, and long urban corridors makes these crashes far more impactful. For communities like Burbank, understanding these patterns can help residents and policymakers take action before tragedy strikes.”

Siskiyou County ranks fourth with a DUI Driving Risk: 75.4/100 (DUI Fatality Risk: 41/60 and DUI Fatal & Serious Injury Risk: 35/40). In Siskiyou County, 15% of DUI crashes led to fatalities, while 55% of DUI crashes resulted in fatal and serious injuries between 2020 and 2024.

Mono County ranks fifth with a DUI Driving Risk: 67.9/100 (DUI Fatality Risk: 35/60 and DUI Fatal & Serious Injury Risk: 33/40). In Mono County, 13% of DUI crashes led to fatalities, while 52% of DUI crashes resulted in fatal and serious injuries between 2020 and 2024.

Tehama County (6th) recorded a DUI Driving Risk score of 67.0, followed by Lake County (7th) at 66.1, Kings County (8th) at 64.4, Inyo County (9th) at 62.3, and Modoc County (10th) at 62.0, rounding out the counties where DUI crashes are most likely to result in fatal or life-altering consequences.

Table for Extended Results:

What Communities and Drivers Can Do to Reduce DUI Fatalities

As a Transportation Commissioner for the City of Burbank, Adrianos Facchetti advises residents to:

• Interrupt risky behavior early by recognizing patterns like habitual drinking before driving or minimizing impairment.
• Expand safe transportation options such as ride-shares, community shuttles, and designated driver programs.
• Increase high-visibility enforcement through sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols.
• Educate drivers on how few drinks it takes to impair reaction time and judgment.
• Strengthen community accountability by encouraging friends, families, and businesses to intervene.
• Prioritize rapid emergency response to improve survival when DUI crashes occur.

Methodology

The study was conducted by The Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti, a Burbank-based personal injury law firm that specializes in car accidents, motorcycle crashes, wrongful death, and catastrophic injuries.

The study analyzed county-level DUI data from 2020 to 2024 using the UC Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS). The study ranked counties using a composite DUI Driving Risk Score (100), combining:

• DUI Fatality Risk (60): Measuring the share of traffic fatalities involving DUI
• DUI Fatal & Serious Injury Risk (40): Measuring the share of severe crash outcomes tied to DUI
  
  

This approach emphasizes consequence severity rather than raw crash volume, highlighting where DUI crashes are most likely to result in death or life-altering injury

Data Sources:

• UC Berkeley TIMS DUI Database →  https://tims.berkeley.edu/tools/dui/
• Research Data Set →
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mrSDEW9PLCKMTtCPTA0dNBYdGW7RZ3q70RVAVpQLYXM/edit?gid=0#gid=0
• Study By →
  https://facchettilaw.com/