Most Dangerous States For Car Drivers

The United States highway system connects drivers to remarkable sights and diverse communities. However, road quality, local laws, driver education and weather conditions are factors that can make some states more dangerous to travel in than others. 

Many people are curious about how their home state and the states they visit stack up against others in terms of safety. Take a look at recent statistics on the most dangerous states for car drivers.

The Most Dangerous States for Drivers

There are various ways to measure danger. However, simply looking at the states with the most accidents or fatalities only puts the areas with the largest populations at the top of the list. 

Instead, we considered the percentages of car accidents and fatalities using information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other credible sources.

Mississippi: The Highest Percentage of Fatalities and Most Dangerous Overall

Traffic fatalities are a significant marker of danger, and the NHTSA tracks these statistics from different angles. When considering the fatality rate per 100,000 residents, Mississippi tops the list with 23.91%. Wyoming, New Mexico, Arkansas and South Carolina hold second through fifth place.

When considering the fatality rate per 100,000 drivers, that list is the same, except that Oklahoma jumps into fifth place just ahead of South Carolina. Measuring fatalities per 100,000 registered vehicles puts Delaware at the top, but Mississippi is in second place. New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma follow.

As these numbers show, Mississippi is one of the most dangerous states for drivers. In fact, after seeing how often it pops up in other categories, Mississippi qualifies as the most dangerous state to drive in overall.

South Carolina and Rhode Island: The Highest Percentage of Fatal Drunk Driving Accidents

South Carolina and Rhode Island tie for first place for traffic fatalities resulting from alcohol-impaired driving. Each comes in at 43%. Rhode Island also has the distinction of having the most drivers with a very high blood-alcohol content of over .15 g/dL. 

Texas comes close with 42%, and Oregon and the District of Columbia round out the top five. Utah can proudly state that it has the lowest number of alcohol-related road fatalities. 

West Virginia: The Highest Percentage of Weather-Related Accidents

Though winter weather leads to dangerous accidents, a study finds that rain causes more weather-related fatal crashes than snow and sleet. The rolling landscape of West Virginia has 45.6 deadly weather-related crashes per every million drivers. Kentucky, Mississippi, Wyoming and Oregon come next. 

Mississippi (Again): The Highest Percentage of Open Recalls

Unsafe vehicles also lead to accidents. CARFAX periodically reveals data that shows which states have the most vehicles on the road with active recalls. Southern states have consistently ranked among the highest.

The latest data shows that almost a quarter of Mississippi’s vehicles have unfixed recalls. Texas and Louisiana tie for second place, with 23% of the automobiles needing repairs. 

Though California has the highest number of vehicles with open recalls (5.6 million), it also has the highest number of registered vehicles. Impressively, the state saw a 12% drop in the number of vehicles with open recalls, trending in a positive direction.

The States With the Worst Vehicle Maintenance

Just as concerning as open recalls are states where owners miss regular maintenance, such as tire rotations and oil changes. Again, CARFAX collects this data by reviewing service records and alerts.

CARFAX didn’t mention specifically which state takes the first spot, but the five that lag behind the most in typical maintenance are Alaska, West Virginia, Maine, Rhode Island and Mississippi. On the other hand, drivers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, Nevada and Virginia take the best care of their cars.

Rhode Island: The Top in Fatal Speeding-Related Accidents

In the category of fatal accidents that occurred because of speeding, Rhode Island, Wyoming, Hawaii, D.C. and North Carolina are the leading five. Each has over 40% of their fatal crashes from excessive speed. Rhode Island is number one with 48%.

Wyoming: The Most Concerning Increase in Fatalities

New Hampshire leads the category of the highest percentage change in traffic fatalities with 24%. Hawaii is next at 23%, and Wyoming is 22%. Why put Wyoming as the most concerning trend?

As far as rankings for fatalities per 100,000 people, New Hampshire is 37th and Hawaii is 46th. Being so low on this primary list, these upticks could be an abnormality. In contrast, Wyoming is #2 on the main list, showing a negative trend that makes the state highly dangerous for drivers. 

Louisiana: The Most Aggressive Driving and Road Rage Incidents

Instead of using surveys from drivers, which can be subjective, ConsumerAffairs compared data from the NHTSA and the Gun Violence Archive to give states a “road rage score.” Louisiana ranked as having the highest amount of road rage in this comparison.

The next four states were New Mexico, Montana, Colorado and Arkansas. Of note is the fact that New Mexico has the highest incidences of gun violence per 100,000 residents. 

California: The Worst for Night Driving

Nighttime driving increases the risk of an accident because of decreased visibility. Surprisingly, some of the typically warmer and more tropical states tend to do worse at night, with the largest jump in deadly evening accidents.

California has the biggest increase with these accidents being 12.1 times more likely. Following it are Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Maryland. Vermont performed the best, as the risk of accidents is only 3.7 times greater at night.

Professional Legal Support for Car Accidents in Any State

Motor vehicle collisions are still a primary reason for injuries and death among the public at large. No matter how careful you are on the road, you can’t control what others do. All of us face risk every time we travel, even in the safest states. Fortunately, legal help is readily available wherever you are.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident because of someone else’s actions or neglect, our national network of lawyers can assist you. Contact us at Big Auto Accident Attorneys to reach legal professionals who are ready to fight for your fair compensation.

_{Photo by Israel Sundseth on Unsplash}

Content reviewed by managing attorney, Nic Edgson. Nic has been an Arizona-licensed lawyer for more than a decade and focuses his law practice on helping people seriously injured in car accidents and truck accidents. He has represented thousands of clients and recovered more than $50 Million Dollars fighting for their injuries and medical bills. Throughout his legal career, Nic has helped those injured through some of the most difficult times in their lives.