The True Cost of a DUI

The choice to drive impaired comes with a massive receipt. When you compare a night with a sober ride to a night with a DUI, the difference is staggering.

A fun night out with food, drinks, and a rideshare might cost you around $50. But if you choose to drive impaired, that same night can easily cost $20,000 or more.

Before you get behind the wheel, consider the heavy costs of a DUI:

• The Price Tag: Attorney fees ($5,000+), fines and surcharges ($1,390+), vehicle impound and towing ($800+), and increased insurance premiums.
• The Personal Toll: Job loss, jail time, license suspension, and a permanent criminal record.
• The Ultimate Cost: Serious injury or death — something no dollar figure can cover and cannot be undone.

Impairment begins with the first drink or drug. The safest choice is to separate drinking from driving altogether.

July Statewide Enforcement Blitz

Police statewide are participating in high-visibility DUI enforcement mobilizations focused on the July holiday periods, when DUIs typically spike:

• 200+ additional DUI enforcement shifts will be worked throughout July 2026.
• 29 Utah law enforcement agencies are participating statewide.
• Officers continue to make stops and arrests based on observed signs of impairment to identify both alcohol-impaired and drug-impaired drivers.

Category	2023	2024	2025
Total Fatal Crashes	250	251	259
Total Fatalities	279	277	271
Alcohol-Related Crashes	849	826	773
Alcohol-Related Fatalities	47	56	37
Drug-Related Fatalities	115	109	85

*Data Source: Highway Safety Office, Utah Department of Public Safety.

Data Disclaimers:

• Total “impaired driving-related” fatality counts could include poly-substance use. Many DUI fatalities include drug and alcohol positive toxicology.
• Drug-Related crashes and fatalities include the number of crashes resulting from one or more drivers who had a positive drug test. Drug presence does not necessarily imply impairment. For many drug types, drug presence can be detected long after any impairment that might affect driving has passed.
• Alcohol-Related crashes include incidents where a driver tested positive for any level of alcohol.
• Alcohol-Related fatal crashes and fatalities show the number of crashes where at least one of the drivers tested positive for alcohol and had a BAC of > 0.05 percent starting December 31, 2018, or > 0.08 percent before that date.

Spotting An Impaired Driver

If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911. Some of the signs of drunk driving are:

• Drifting during a turn or curve
• Inattentiveness to surroundings
• Swerving or weaving across lanes
• Stopping too far, too short, too jerky, and having a slow response at traffic signals
• Driving without headlights on at night
• Varying speed or driving too slow (approximately 10+ mph under the speed limit)

What to do if you encounter a wrong-way driver:

• Slow down: Slowing down can significantly reduce the severity of a potential crash.
• Move over: If it is safe to do so, move to the right lanes and out of the driver's way.
• Call 911 immediately: If it is safe for you to do so, obtain a description of the vehicle (location, speed, vehicle type/color, lane of travel, etc.).