Fresno County DUI Crashes Tied to Repeat Offenders, Speeding, Data Shows

Alcohol- and drug-related driving crashes in Fresno County led to 1,751 deaths between 2010 and 2023, with risky driving behavior and nighttime conditions contributing to the toll, according to newly released data by Fresno State and the Central California Public Health Consortium.

Among drivers involved in fatal crashes, 44% had prior violations, 15% had a previous crash, and 14% had a prior DUI conviction, the data showed.

Moreover, Fresno County’s DUI fatal crash rate of 3.34 per 100,000 people was significantly higher than the California average of 2.42 per 100,000. The Central Valley’s rate for fatal DUI collisions was about 6 per 100,000 — more than twice the statewide average.

Fresno County recorded the lowest rate of DUI-related fatal crashes per 100,000 residents among the the Central Valley counties analyzed.

Tuolumne County reported 152 fatal crashes, or 7.18 DUI-related fatal crashes per 100,000 residents. Mariposa County’s rate was higher, with 45 fatal crashes, or 9.63 per 100,000 residents. Calaveras County recorded 153 crashes, translating to 9.75 per 100,000 residents.

Those numbers reinforce what CalMatters reporters found in their License to Kill series. The series also noted that California’s lax laws combined with judges who handed down soft sentences to repeat DUI offenders contributed to the state’s soaring highway death rate.

Speeding Kills, Too

Speeding was also a major factor in Fresno County’s fatal DUI crashes. The data indicates 34% of drivers were recorded speeding, with impaired drivers traveling an average of 23 mph above the speed limit.

Road and environmental conditions show most crashes occurred under otherwise normal circumstances. Level roadways accounted for 89% of crashes, while 80% occurred on straight roads. Weather was clear in 87% of cases, compared with 13% in adverse conditions.

Geographically, 54.1% of crashes occurred in rural areas, while 37.3% were in urbanized areas and 8.6% in small urban areas.

Vehicle data shows motorists made up 96% of those involved, with smaller shares attributed to pedestrians and bicyclists. Among vehicle types, sedans accounted for 51.5%, followed by SUVs and vans at 30%, trucks at 18.5%, and motorcycles at 10.3%.

People most likely to be involved in a fatal DUI collision are between 25 and 34 years old.

About the Data

The data includes the counties of Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne.

Across those Central Valley counties, 8,790 fatal crashes were reported from 2010 to 2023. Statewide, California recorded 46,490 fatal DUI-related crashes over the same period.

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