Franchi Law Study Reveals the 5-Hour Window Behind Most Impaired Driving Fatalities in Hillsborough County, and the Corridors Where It Happens
-- Every night in Tampa Bay, a predictable pattern repeats itself. Between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., the probability of sharing the road with an impaired driver rises sharply, and so does the chance of a fatal crash. According to a new data analysis by former deputy sheriff, turned Tampa personal injury attorney William Franchi of Franchi Law, this five-hour block, what law enforcement and traffic safety researchers call the “DUI Power Hours,” accounts for the overwhelming majority of alcohol-related crashes and fatalities across Hillsborough County and the state of Florida.
Key Findings at a Glance
The “DUI Power Hours” window (10 p.m. to 3 a.m.) accounts for a disproportionate share of impaired driving fatalities in Florida and across the nation. Franchi Law’s analysis of state, federal, and local enforcement data found:
- The peak fatality hour in Florida is from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., closely tied to bar closing times.
- Two-thirds of fatal crashes between midnight and 3 a.m. involve drunk drivers, double the average.
- Saturday nights are the deadliest, with 47.6% of alcohol-impaired fatal crashes occurring between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., peaking from midnight to 3 a.m.
- Hillsborough County leads Florida in DUI arrests, with 119 arrests over Thanksgiving 2025 and an average BAC of .143.
- High-risk corridors in Tampa Bay include Ybor City, SoHo, I-275, Dale Mabry Highway, and I-4.
Nationally, 12,429 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2023, one person every 42 minutes. However, NHTSA projects overall road fatalities dropped 6.4% in early 2025, the lowest rate since 2019.
The analysis draws on Florida’s official Impaired Driving Traffic Safety Facts published by the Florida Impaired Driving Coalition, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash data, and local enforcement records from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), which leads Florida in DUI arrests despite ranking only fourth in population.
The 5-Hour Window: What the Data Shows
Florida’s Impaired Driving Traffic Safety Facts (2022 Data), compiled from five years of crash records (2018–2022), reveals a stark concentration of impaired driving fatalities during late-night and early-morning hours:
- Peak Fatality Hour: 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. The single deadliest hour for impaired driving crashes in Florida, corresponding closely with bar closing times across the state.
- Peak Serious Injury Hours: 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Serious (non-fatal) injuries from impaired driving crashes are most frequent during the early portion of the power-hour window, as impaired drivers begin entering roadways during evening hours.
- Alcohol-Only Fatalities peak dramatically in the 1:00 to 2:00 a.m. window, then sharply decline and remain low through daytime hours before rising again after 6:00 p.m.
Nationally, NHTSA data confirms the pattern: two-thirds of all fatal crashes between midnight and 3 a.m. involve an alcohol-impaired driver, which is twice the overall average. More than 55% of drivers involved in fatal crashes during those hours were alcohol-impaired.
“Think about what that means for a Tampa Bay resident driving home at 1:30 in the morning,” Franchi said. “At that hour, roughly two out of every three fatal crashes on the road involve a drunk driver. Those aren’t abstract numbers. Those are the odds you’re facing when you share I-275 or Dale Mabry with someone who’s been drinking since happy hour.”
The Weekend Multiplier: Saturdays Are the Deadliest
The DUI Power Hours don’t carry equal risk every night. According to Florida’s crash data, fatalities from impaired driving crashes are most frequent on Saturdays. While drug-impaired crash fatalities remain relatively consistent throughout the week, alcohol-impaired fatalities show a pronounced spike on Friday and Saturday nights.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that 31% of fatal drunk-driving accidents occur on weekends, and fatal crashes are four times higher at night than during the day. The SafeTREC analysis of 2023 national crash data found the peak period for alcohol-impaired fatal crashes was between Saturday at midnight and 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, with 47.6% of all alcohol-impaired fatal crashes occurring between 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m.
“For Tampa Bay, this means every Friday and Saturday night is essentially a high-risk event,” Franchi explained. “You don’t need a holiday to be in danger. The most dangerous ‘DUI holiday’ happens every single weekend.”
Tampa Bay’s DUI Danger Corridors: Where the Power Hours Hit Hardest
While the DUI Power Hours are a statewide, and national, phenomenon, Tampa Bay’s geography, nightlife density, and road network create a particularly dangerous combination. Based on HCSO enforcement data, Tampa Police Department records, and FLHSMV crash reporting, Franchi Law’s study identifies these high-risk corridors during the 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. window:
- Ybor City / 7th Avenue: Tampa's busiest nightlife area sees high impaired-driver traffic, especially after midnight on weekends.
- South Howard Avenue (SoHo): A popular bar and restaurant district with frequent DUI enforcement on weekend nights.
- Interstate 275: Late-night wrong-way driving incidents on I-275 often involve impaired drivers.
- Dale Mabry Highway: One of Tampa’s deadliest roads, known for pedestrian fatalities and late-night crashes.
- I-4 Corridor: A major route connecting Tampa to Orlando, ranked among the deadliest highways in the U.S. by NHTSA.
Hillsborough County’s Enforcement Machine: Aggressive but Outmatched
Hillsborough County maintains one of Florida’s most robust DUI enforcement programs. The HCSO’s dedicated 20-deputy DUI Enforcement Squad works alongside the Central Breath Testing Unit at Orient Road Jail, processing approximately 2,685 DUI suspects annually. The average BAC among arrestees is .143, nearly twice Florida’s legal limit of .08, and 42.19% of arrestees refuse breath tests entirely.
Statewide and National Context: Florida’s Persistent Problem
Florida’s impaired driving challenge is deeply embedded in the data:
- From 2018 to 2022, an average of 1,044 people died annually in impaired driving crashes on Florida roads, representing 29% of all traffic fatalities statewide.
- Males account for 81% of fatally injured drivers in impaired driving crashes statewide, and drivers ages 21 to 24 are disproportionately represented.
- DUI citations totaled 44,001 statewide in 2022, a 12.7% decrease from 2013, attributed in part to increased rideshare use and public awareness, though fatalities remain stubbornly high.
Nationally, the picture is equally sobering. According to NHTSA, 12,429 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2023, one person every 42 minutes.
However, there is encouraging national progress. NHTSA’s December 2025 estimates project that road fatalities dropped approximately 6.4% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to 2024, with the fatality rate declining to 1.10 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the lowest since 2019.
About Franchi Law
Franchi Law is a Tampa-based personal injury law firm dedicated to representing victims of car accidents, DUI crashes, and other serious injuries throughout the Tampa Bay area. Attorney William Franchi brings extensive experience as a former deputy and in complex personal injury litigation, and is committed to helping injury victims and their families rebuild their lives.
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Email: william@franchilaw.com
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