BMW Drivers Have the Most DUIs In America's Largest Cities: Study

The study also found that Gen Z drivers were most likely to be caught driving under the influence.

Photo by: BMW

Brian Silvestro

By: Brian Silvestro

Jul 9, 2025 at 11:15am ET

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A new study from LendingTree analyzed DUI statistics from 50 of America's largest cities, finding that BMW owners were most likely to be caught driving under the influence. The study also found that Gen Z drivers had a higher DUI rate than any other age group.

BMW drivers scored a rate of 3.09 DUIs per 1,000 drivers in America's biggest cities, with Ram drivers following closely behind, at 3.0 per 1,000 drivers. Of the top five brands, four were luxury carmakers, with Acura in third, Audi in fourth, and Volvo in fifth.

Make DUIs Per 1,000 Drivers 1. BMW 3.09 2. Ram 3.00 3. Acura 2.69 4. Audi 2.42 5. Volvo 2.42

At the other end of the spectrum, Mercury drivers carried the lowest DUI rate for American cities, at 0.86 per 1,000 drivers. It's followed by Land Rover (1.16) and Lincoln (1.16). Tesla was smack-dab in the middle of the 30 brands analyzed, in 16th place with a DUI rate of 1.9 per 1,000 drivers.

Gen Z drivers (aged 19 to 27) took the crown for highest DUI rate by age group, with a rate of 2.62 per 1,000. They were followed closely behind by the next youngest group, Millennials, at a rate of 2.4 per 1,000 drivers. In fact, the study found the DUI rate decreased as the age group moved up, with the silent generation, aged 79 to 95, carrying the lowest rate of DUI, at just 0.21 per 1,000 drivers.

"People tend to become more risk-averse as they age," says LendingTree official Rob Bhatt. "Gen Z will someday reach the age of today’s baby boomers. If they’re lucky, younger drivers will be more responsible then."

LendingTree also calculated offenses by city, finding that Omaha, Nebraska, had the highest DUI rate of the 50 cities analyzed, at 4.48 per 1,000 drivers—more than double the average of 1.9. And while no California city took the top spot, six of the top 10 worst-offending cities were located in the Golden State—not surprising, considering the population is overly reliant on cars as a means of transportation. Weirdly, New York City also made the list at number 10, despite its robust public transit system.

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Chicago, Illinois, meanwhile, carries the title for the lowest DUI rate of the 50 largest American cities, with just 0.45 DUIs per 1,000 drivers. It's followed closely by Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 0.65, and Miami, Florida, at 0.66.

You can check out the full study from LendingTree right here.

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