Stormy northern states rank the worst for drunken driving

Fueled by higher-than-average alcohol consumption and plenty of bad weather, northern states in the Midwest and West are the most dangerous for drunken driving, according to a survey obtained by USA TODAY.

North Dakota ranked first in fatalities and in driving-underthe-influence arrests in 2015, according to the study by CarInsuranceComparison.com, a site that allows people to compare insurance companies.

Montana was second, with the highest cost per fatality and types of laws, according to the report. Idaho, Wisconsin, South Carolina and South Dakota rounded out the riskiest states for impaired driving, according to the study.

“I think that the combination of higher-than-average alcohol consumption and a higher chance of running into dangerous driving conditions with sleet, snow and ice during the winter months could be the reason that we’re seeing so many of those northern states rank poorly,” Tyler Spraul, who directed the study, told USA TODAY.

The Dakotas, Idaho and Wisconsin each ranked among the highest consumption of alcohol in 2009, according to a study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

In North Dakota, state police and sheriffs are cracking down on underage drinking during the season for prom and graduation this year.