The Most Dangerous (and Safest) States to Drive in the U.S.
Whether you are driving on the highway or navigating the city, certain places are simply safer than others for drivers. While state lines may seem relatively arbitrary, there are laws and statistics that make states a relatively good way to assess road safety.
Using a number of different factors, this guide took on the task of ranking states from worst to best when it came to safety. Because metrics in states regarding some aspects of their road safety were available, the “by state” model is a convenient way to look at what your relative level of safety will be when driving around the US.
By breaking down the information for each state you can assess where you might want to factor in access to better automobile insurance or where you might want to live if your children are getting close to driving age. After all, if you have a statistically greater chance of getting into an accident, it might color your decision when it comes to moving to one place over another. Or it might just make you be more wary of other drivers in a particular part of the nation.
The State of Driving in the U.S.
In one year, motorists in the US drive over 3 trillion miles. There are over 220 million licensed drivers that at any one time are driving one of over 290 million vehicles. In the year 2017, there were about 6.5 million accidents reported.
If you commute to work every day or drive for a living, you must understand the risk factors involved before deciding to get behind the wheel. And many of these factors to consider when it comes to car safety as it pertains to a particular location.
Other Factors Included
Weather conditions: inclement weather makes states that have relatively low rates of crime and the number of DUI arrests riskier for drivers. States that get more rainfall or deal with snow and ice regularly tend to be generally more dangerous to drive in. In fact, weather accounts for over 20% of accidents with nearly 50% of those occurring during a rainstorm. It’s part of what makes Alaska the number one most dangerous state to be a driver. Rainfall statistics contribute to Hawai’i’s ranking as unsafe for drivers as well. Ranking up there when it comes to rainfall are Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. Slick weather conditions are huge factors in car accidents.
Grand theft auto: The crime of grand theft auto is very prevalent throughout the US. in 2018, close to a million cars were stolen. Looking at theft statistics, for example, may give you the incentive you need to install improved security in your car or think more seriously about investing in a secure garage. Smaller states like Delaware (with 11,418 stolen vehicles reported) and West Virginia (with 12,707 stolen vehicles) are numbers one and two in per capita theft. That’s even though larger states like California, Texas and Florida boast the largest number of thefts by sheer volume. California features around 160,000 stolen cars per year but that ranks them only ninth when you consider the metrics as per capita.
Fatal car accidents: Fortunately, only about half of a percent of all car accidents are fatal but still, that adds up to around 50,000 fatalities per year and some states do represent more than their fair share. In the states of Alabama and South Carolina, close to 1000 people lost their lives in car accidents in 2017. When factoring in per capita statistics, it makes them some of the worst states to have an accident in. When comparing the populations of Mississippi, Wyoming, and South Carolina to the number of automobile deaths in those states, the risk of dying in a car accident is 1 in 5,000 — something pretty staggering. While California and Texas each had over three times that amount, at more than 3000, they are quite a bit lower on the list when taking per capita into account. Safer states in regard to fatal accidents include Minnesota, Massachusetts and New York.
Accidents related to drunk driving: In the year 2017 alone there were close to 800,000 DUI arrests in the United States. That adds up to about 0.25% of our population or about 1 in every 400 people. Per capita, non-populous states like North Dakota and South Dakota have a high percentage of DUI arrests when compared to their population, but even some relatively large states like Wisconsin and Colorado tend toward high percentage numbers. When you look at DUIs for minors, different states begin to demonstrate that they take on a larger percentage of this specific issue. Pennsylvania and Arizona lead the pack of underage DUIs.
There are many good reasons to know the facts when it comes to how dangerous the roads and streets around you may fare when considering national averages. Not only does it help you assess insurance more effectively it gives you insight into how careful you might want to be in locking up your vehicle.
In addition, if you live in a state with a high rate of DUIs you might want to try to prioritize advocating for tougher laws, designated driver programs or improved public transportation. These ideas may deter drunk driving and make your home safer. If auto theft is more prevalent, maybe there are neighborhood watches, law enforcement possibilities, or social programs that will lessen your chance of being a victim of a crime. The first step is to know the numbers and then you can see how you might respond. There are many things you can do to lobby your local government to focus on vehicle safety and everyone has to do their part to make hitting the road less of a risk.
Car photo created by jcomp - www.freepik.com