Fairfax County saw no year-over-year change, but across the D.C. region overall, deaths connected to impaired driving were down 26% from 2023 to 2024, according to new data.
The recently released annual “How Safe Are Our Roads? Report” by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recorded 74 fatalities connected to alcohol- and/or drug-related vehicle incidents last year — 100 fewer deaths than in the previous year and below the five-year average of 90.
Fairfax County saw 17 traffic fatalities connected to alcohol or drugs, which is unchanged from 2023 and the same total recorded four of the last eight years. For the other four years, deaths had ranged from 12 to 22 in the county.
The City of Fairfax has only recorded one traffic fatality since 2017 that resulted from alcohol or drug use.
In that crash on Nov. 26, 2022, a driver struck and killed a 56-year-old pedestrian who was crossing Main Street at Trapp Road. State records indicate that the crash involved a “mature” driver over 65 years old and was determined to be alcohol-related, though it’s not specified whether that was on the part of the driver or the pedestrian.
“During the holiday season, when we commonly see increases in impaired driving, it is so important that we draw attention to these completely preventable incidents and redouble our efforts across the region to save lives,” WRAP president Kurt Erickson said in a statement accompanying the new report.
Across Northern Virginia, alcohol/drug-related fatalities decreased from 40 in 2023 to 34 in 2024, according to the 22-page report.
Among other major Northern Virginia jurisdictions:
- Alexandria saw no fatalities in that category in 2023 or 2024
- Arlington’s rate declined from six to one
- The total in Loudoun County rose from three to five
- In Prince William County, the total rose from 10 to 11
For 2024, suburban Maryland recorded 28 deaths in that category, down from 40; D.C. posted a decline from 13 to 2; and alcohol or drug-related deaths on National Park Service roadways increased from seven to 10.
Data for deaths attributed to alcohol/drug crashes nationally are not yet available for 2024. In 2023, they totaled nearly 12,500 out of approximately 41,000 total vehicle-related fatalities across the U.S.
Injuries connected to alcohol/drug crashes across the metro area in 2024 totaled 1,649, up about 4% year-over-year and above the five-year average of 1,526. Total crashes attributed to drunk or drugged driving were up 2% to 3,731, slightly above the five-year average of 3,637.
For the D.C. metro area, arrests for either driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI) were essentially flat from 2023 to 2024, dropping from 8,727 to 8,710. The five-year average is 9,282.
Data compiled in the report comes from national, state and local sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Park Police, the D.C. Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Maryland National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems, and local police departments of each jurisdiction. Jurisdictional data is not always inclusive of state police data.
Founded in 1982, WRAP is a public-private partnership working to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking in the region. Its most well-known initiative is SoberRide, which provides free rides home to those who may be intoxicated during holiday periods.
A SoberRide campaign for this year’s Christmas and New Year’s holidays is now underway and runs through Jan. 1. It is in operation nightly from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. in collaboration with Lyft.
During the 2024 holiday season, just over 2,200 individuals used the service. Total rides through SoberRide since 1991 are approaching 100,000.
