Car accidents remains one of America’s top killers. Countless organizations within and outside of the government work tirelessly to better understand the statistics behind fatal crashes in an effort to better protect drivers.
One way of approaching road safety is to examine which states have the most crashes and examine why that happens to be the case. Comparing those to the states with the least and the reasons behind that is also beneficial. From these studies, here are the top 10 states with most car accidents.
Breaking Down the Numbers
Before diving in, it helps to understand how these statistics are calculated. Accidents are measured against a state’s population, giving researchers a more accurate place to start when examining the causes. It breaks down to the number of fatalities for every 100,000 people.
While deaths per 100 million vehicle miles driven is also used, the population statistic helps researchers examine the rates at which accidents happen as well as the type of accident. This allows for a deeper dive into the reasons behind car crashes by isolating where the most incidents take place.
By the Numbers: Population
With any set of numbers, researchers are looking for the rate at which accidents happen. The data for 2018 is currently the most recent set of complete statistics, featuring rates ranging from 4.4 to 22.2 per 100,000 people. The states with the highest rates are:
· Mississippi – 22.2 deaths per 100,000
· South Carolina – 20.4
· Alabama – 19.5
· Wyoming – 19.2
· New Mexico – 18.7
By the Numbers: Miles Driven
Vehicle miles traveled is a total, much like the population number. Take all of the vehicles in any given state, start tallying how much those cars drive, and you begin to see wildly large numbers of total miles driven in a given year. This is broken down to segments of 100 million miles driven, leaving these states with the highest rates of accidents:
· South Carolina – 1.83 deaths for every 100 million miles
· Mississippi – 1.63
· Louisiana – 1.53
· Arizona – 1.41
· West Virginia – 1.51
Fatal Accidents
Researchers also separate fatal accidents in order to better understand the factors behind a death in any given crash. Seatbelt use, road conditions, and dozens of other factors come into play. When it comes to states with the highest fatality rates, these 10 are the most severe:
1. Texas – 3,305
2. California – 3,259
3. Florida – 2,915
4. Georgia 1,407
5. North Carolina – 1,321
6. Pennsylvania – 1,103
7. Ohio – 996
8. Tennessee – 974
9. South Carolina – 970
10. Illinois – 948
The Most Dangerous States
While these are three different sets of numbers, they provide two lists of 10 states. One shows the highest number of accidents per population and miles driven, the other fatalities. With these numbers, researchers can better examine the changes or methods needed to help prevent injuries, lower the burden of cost these states face, and save lives.If you live in any of these states, it’s in your best interest to have a skilled legal professional like this Bay Area car accident lawyer handy. While many think a crash would never happen to them, the numbers prove otherwise. It’s also in your best interest to practice driver safety such as wearing your seatbelt, defensive driving techniques, and proper vehicle maintenance.
