A study by Forbes Advisor rates Wyoming as the fourth-worst state for drunk driving, and second-worst for drunk driving fatalities per capita.

You can read the survey here. The study ranked all 50 U.S. states across 6 key metrics related to impaired driving. Montana was rated the worst state for drunk driving, followed by South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Montana got a score of 100, while Wyoming was not far behind with a score of 96.82. New Jersey, rated the least severe state for drunk driving, got a zero score on the scale.

Wyoming has actually fared worse in some drunk driving surveys over the years than in the recent Forbes Advisor report.

For example, one 2022 report had Wyoming as the second-worst state for drunk driving, while another from last year rated the Cowboy State as third worst. And at least one report in 2021 had Wyoming as the worst state in the country for drunk driving.

The newest report had the following comments on Wyoming:

  • Wyoming has the second-highest rate of people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver (6.78 per 100,000 state residents), ranking fourth among the worst states for drunk driving.
  • Wyoming stands out as the state with the third-highest rate of DUI arrests (629.12 per 100,000 licensed drivers), and the third-highest proportion of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes (8.22 per 100,000 licensed drivers).
  • Wyoming has the fifth-highest rate of drunk drivers under age 21 involved in fatal crashes (0.70 per 100,000 licensed drivers).

Here is more from the Forbes Advisor report:

2022's Deadliest Wyoming County by Traffic Deaths

While car crashes can occur anywhere, some roads in Wyoming are more dangerous than others.

According to Wyoming Highway Patrol data, there were 117 fatal crashes in the Cowboy State in 2022 resulting in 133 deaths.

Of those fatal crashes, the majority (13.68%) occurred in Laramie County -- two in January, one in February, one in March, two in April, one in June, two in July, three in August, two in September, one in November, and one in December.

Sweetwater County saw the second most fatal crashes last year, 12, while Fremont and Lincoln counties each saw 10.

Albany and Park counties each recorded eight, and Campbell, Converse, and Natrona counties each tallied seven.

The deadliest 2022 crash in Laramie County took place on June 17 when two semis collided on Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne and immediately became engulfed in flames killing both drivers and a passenger.



Laramie County also saw two fatal crashes involving motorcyclists, two fatal crashes involving juveniles, and a fatal crash involving a pedestrian last year.

Below is the Wyoming Highway Patrol narrative of every fatal crash that occurred in Laramie County in 2022.

Gallery Credit: Joy Greenwald

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