Alexandria recorded no traffic fatalities related to impaired driving in 2024 for the second year in a row, according to new data.
Regional deaths connected to impaired driving were down 26% from 2023 to 2024, according to a report by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The report recorded 74 fatalities connected to alcohol- and/or drug-related crashes last year — down from 100 recorded in 2023 and below the five-year average of 90.
The annual report is released in December to serve as a reminder to stay safe and act responsibly while on local roads.
“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.
The report looks as far back as 2017. During that span, Alexandria had two years (2023-24) with no traffic fatalities related to impaired driving, three years (2017, 2021, 2022) with one death, two years (2019-20) with two deaths and one year (2018) with three deaths.
Across Northern Virginia, alcohol/drug-related fatalities decreased from 40 in 2023 to 34 in 2024. Over the eight-year span from 2017 to 2024, annual Northern Virginia deaths in that category ranged from 29 to 45.
Among other major Northern Virginia jurisdictions in 2024:
- Fairfax County saw 17 traffic fatalities in that category during 2024, unchanged from 2023
- 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; the District of Columbia posted a decline from 13 to 2; and alcohol-drug-related deaths on National Park Service roadways increased from seven to 10.
National deaths attributed to alcohol/drugs are not yet available for 2024. In 2023, they totaled nearly 12,500 out of approximately 41,000 total vehicle-related fatalities.
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, above the five-year average of 3,637.
Metro-area arrests for either driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI) were essentially flat from 2023-24, dropping from 8,727 to 8,710. The five-year average is 9,282.
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.
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, Metropolitan Police Department, District of Columbia 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.
