Best barbecue west of the Mississippi, most beautiful waterfalls, best weather… There are many things we may boast about when showing our state pride, but none of us want our state to be counted among the most dangerous states to drive.
This negative notoriety is nothing to brag about, but knowing if your state makes the list, and reviewing the basics on how you can do simple things to reduce your risk, can help you do your part to avoid being part of these statistics.
Two top states may pop into your mind based on media images when you think of bad driving: rows of cabs and angry drivers in New York and gridlock on Los Angeles freeways in California. But surprisingly, these states don’t even make the top five… or 20. (New York is one of the safest ranking at 48, with California ranking at 38).
Car Accident Statistics
In the time span between 2004 and 2014, there were 10,000 fewer fatalities related to vehicle crashes, which certainly gives a sense of hope that we can engage in behaviors to help prevent deadly car accidents.
24/7 Wall Street published an article that looked at the least and most dangerous states to drive based on the number of roadway fatalities, and indicated what percent occurred on rural roads. The article also looked at the percent of residents who wore seat belts as well as the blood alcohol content of drivers killed.
The information they used was based on state fatality data from the International Institute for Highway Safety and included additional information on urban and rural travel from the Federal Highway Administration.
The overall average rate of fatalities per 100,000 people due to vehicle accidents was 10.2. The safest states to drive, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, have a fatality rate of half the national average at 4.9. The most dangerous state, Wyoming, had a rate of five times that of the lowest states at 25.7.
The top 20 most dangerous states to drive, with #1 being listed as the most dangerous state are as follows:
- Wyoming
- Mississippi
- Montana
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- South Dakota
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- West Virginia
- Tennessee
- Kansas
- Texas
- North Carolina
- Delaware
- Missouri
- Florida
How You Can Make Driving Safer in Even the Most Dangerous States to Drive
Whether or not your state was listed as one of the top 20 most dangerous states to drive, you can still do your part to reduce the chance of fatalities and serious injuries related to vehicle crashes. These include the following:
Use your seatbelt. In the survey of the most dangerous states to drive, those states with the lowest percentage of seatbelt use had the highest rate of roadway fatalities.
Don’t Drink and Drive. Despite public awareness campaigns and laws prohibiting drinking and driving, one third of drivers killed in 2014 had a blood alcohol content over the legal limit.
Although these may seem obvious, seatbelt use and unimpaired driving can significantly impact the number of fatal accidents seen on our roadways.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, contact the experienced car accident attorneys at McDonald Worley today.. The case evaluation is free! By filling out the form on this page, you will be placed in contact with a McDonald Worley lawyer who will discuss the legal options available to you.