Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Forbes Advisor.
Car accidents are a risk each time you get behind the wheel. In fact, a collision occurs once every five seconds and someone is injured in a crash once every 10 seconds.
With so many accidents, it’s not surprising that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people under age 54 in the United States and the eighth leading cause of death for all age groups across the globe. Crashes also cause millions of car accident injuries each year.
While accidents can occur anywhere, some U.S. states have more dangerous roads than others. But which are the most dangerous states to drive in and which are the safest states to drive in?
To answer that question, the Forbes Advisor team recently analyzed five key metrics including fatal car accidents per capita by state, total number of people killed per capita, the percent change in fatalities from 2019-2020 and the percentage of accidents due to negligent driving. Here’s what the research showed as the most dangerous states to drive in.
1. Montana
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.017
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.019
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 16%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 39%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 51%
2. South Carolina
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.019
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.020
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 6%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 46%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 36%
3. Wyoming
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.020
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.022
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: −14%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 33%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 39%
4. Missouri
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.015
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.016
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 12%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 43%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 37%
5. New Mexico
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.017
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.019
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: −6%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 40%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 36%
6. South Dakota
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.015
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.016
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 38%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 30%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 40%
7. Texas
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.012
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.013
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 7%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 37%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 45%
8. Arkansas
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.019
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.021
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 25%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 26%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 32%
9. Louisiana
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.016
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.018
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 14%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 23%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 35%
10. North Carolina
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.013
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.015
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 6%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 32%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 35%
11. Mississippi
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.023
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.025
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 17%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 17%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 25%
12. Arizona
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.013
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.014
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 8%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 33%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 32%
13. Maine
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.011
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.012
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 4%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 29%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 44%
14. Alabama
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.017
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.019
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 0%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 28%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 31%
15. Wisconsin
- Total Fatal Car Accidents per Capita: 0.010
- Total Killed in Car Accidents per Capita: 0.010
- Percent Change in Fatalities YoY: 8%
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding: 35%
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving: 39%
Our Methodology
To determine the safest and most dangerous states for drivers, the Forbes Advisor team examined five key metrics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including the number of fatal car accidents per capita, total number of people killed in car accidents per capita, the percent change in car accident fatalities from 2019 to 2020 and the percent of fatalities as a result of negligent driving.
Each metric was given an individual weight to provide every state with a score scaled out of 100.
- Number of Fatal Car Accidents per Capita – 25% of score: This metric includes the total number of car accidents that resulted in a fatality in each state from NHTSA that was then divided by state’s population to provide the rate per capita.
- Total People Killed in Car Accidents per Capita – 25% of score: This metric includes the total number of people killed in fatal car accidents in each state from NHTSA that was then divided by state’s population to provide the rate per capita.
- Percent of Fatalities from Speeding – 20% of score: This metric provides the amount of car accident fatalities in each state that are a result of the driver speeding and causing an accident on any roadway function class.
- Percent of Fatalities from Impaired Driving – 20% of score: This metric provides the amount of car accident fatalities in each state that are a result of the driver having a blood alcohol concentration of .01+.
- Percent Change in Total People Killed in Car Accidents – 10% of score: This metric compares the total people killed in car accidents from 2019 to 2020.
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