Arizona saw a surge in drunk driving deaths in 2021.
A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that deaths rose from 295 in 2020 to 421 a year later – a 43% increase.
That accounted for virtually all of the increase of 127 traffic deaths of all types in the state from 2020 to 2021.
Arizona had the fifth-highest rate in the U.S., while California led the nation with more than 1,300 drunk-driving fatalities.
Cronkite News reports that experts point to a variety of possible reasons for the rise, but most said restless boredom spurred by the pandemic likely triggered an increase in unsafe driving behavior, especially speeding and driving under the influence.
Nationwide, drunken driving deaths rose 14% in 2021.