We have a lot to be proud of in San Antonio, but the number of residents who drive drunk here is not one of them. In fact, a recent study suggests that San Antonio is one of the worst cities in the country when it comes to drunk driving.
A data analysis by an auto insurance website shows that police and state troopers in San Antonio make 1,111 DUI arrests per 100,000 residents. That’s the fourth-highest rate of any city in the country, worse than Houston (787) but slightly better than Austin (2nd) and El Paso (3rd). Perhaps not surprisingly, Las Vegas ranked at the top with 1,986 DUI arrests per 100,000 residents.
Why so many Texas cities?
You probably noticed that four out of five of the highest DUI cities are in Texas. Analysts believe this could be due to factors like urban sprawl in Western cities that help tempt intoxicated people into driving instead of alternatives like using public transit, cabs or rideshare apps. That could explain why nine of the top 10 cities in the study are in the Southwest or West Coast.
What to do after getting hurt by a drunk driver
DUI arrest rates only hint at the problem. We don’t know for sure how many drunk drivers escape police attention every day. But all it takes is one impaired driver to crash into your vehicle and leave you with terrible pain and debilitating disabilities. Driving drunk is a choice. When someone makes a negligent choice that leads to serious injury to someone else, the law holds the negligent person accountable. But you as the victim must take action.
