Car Crashes Are On The Rise Across America, But Which States Feature The Most Car Accidents? This Study Has The Answer
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in the U.S. in 2023, 40,901 people died due to a motor vehicle accident (a 4.3% decrease from 42,721 in 2022). A further 2.44 million people sustained injuries. The three main causes of car accident fatalities were drunk driving, speeding, and not wearing a seatbelt.
This study will consider which U.S. states feature the most dangerous roads. We’ll divide the assessment into three key parts, focusing on the states that suffer the most from drunk driving, speeding, and unbelted car accident deaths, and draw all the statistics together to provide an overall picture. We’ll also consider the regional outlook and pinpoint when most of these accidents occur.
National Car Crash Statistics And Causes – A Broad Summary
Of 2023’s 40,901 motor vehicle accident fatalities:
- Drunk driving caused 12,429 fatalities (30% of all crash fatalities)
- Speeding caused 11,775 fatalities (29% of all crash fatalities)
- Not wearing a seatbelt caused 10,484 fatalities (26% of all crash fatalities).
Note: although 91.9% of front-seat adults do wear their seatbelts, for those who don’t, the consequences can be fatal.
Let’s look more closely at all three of these major crash fatality factors, starting with drunk driving, to determine which states feature the most dangerous roads.
The Car Crash Capitals Of The United States
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is the most significant crash fatality factor in the U.S. If your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level is above 0.08%, you’re technically above the legal driving limit. Once you have that amount of alcohol in your blood, you should not operate a motor vehicle as you run a serious risk of causing an accident and potentially killing yourself and/or other motorists.
Regional Hotspots
There are some significant disparities between U.S. regions when it comes to drunk driving statistics. The South leads in drunk driving fatalities, with a rate of 4.39 deaths (per 100,000 residents). The West is next up with a rate of 4.04 deaths (per 100k residents). Third is the Midwest region, with a rate of 3.67 fatalities (per 100k residents). There’s then a significant dropoff to the Northeastern drunk driving ratio of 2.29 deaths (per 100k residents), suggesting that this region is far less prone than others to drunk driving.
The States With The Most Drunk Driving Fatalities
Moving on from regional differences, here’s a list of individual states that feature the most drunk driving fatalities (measured per 100,000 residents).
To take a different perspective, when we look at the overall amount of fatalities due to drunk driving in each state, the list looks quite different, with Texas and California by far the two biggest hotspots.
- Texas 1,699
- California 1,355
- Florida 839
- Ohio 455
- Georgia 433
- Arizona 429
- North Carolina 415
- Illinois 399
- Tennessee 371
- New York 325
By comparing the two sets of data – the raw number of drunk driving fatalities and the rate per 100,000 residents – we can build a more nuanced picture of the states with the highest risk level.
The raw fatality figures are often in part attributable to places with large populations – in this case, huge states like Texas, California, and Florida. Whereas, looking at a ratio of fatality figures pinpoints states whose residents face the highest individual fatality risk, revealing the danger faced by drivers and passengers from smaller states like Wyoming, South Carolina, and Montana.
This comparison shows that while large states bear the greatest overall burden, smaller states may feature disproportionately high fatality rates that indicate less obvious issues with things like driver regulation enforcement, driver behavior, infrastructure problems, and road safety.
Speeding
Speeding – the second most significant factor when it comes to motor vehicle fatalities – often stems from a mix of stress, frustration, feelings of isolation, and urgency.
Traffic congestion is a major trigger. When drivers feel stuck or slowed to a crawl, they’re more likely to respond by speeding, weaving dangerously between lanes to vent their frustration. Running late is another common factor: people rushing to get to work, school, or an appointment often allow impatience to override caution. And drivers often feel isolated and invisible, which can lead to uncharacteristically reckless behavior.
While there are many mitigating factors, it’s also true to say that many drivers simply exhibit bad driving behavior. And as roads get busier and more vehicles crowd the roads, aggressive driving behavior inevitably worsens.
Regional Hotspots
As with drunk driving statistics, let’s first consider a regional comparison of speeding statistics before we move on to states. In this case, the West features the highest number of deaths per 100,000 of the population, with 7.13. The Midwest (5.99 per 100k) and South (5.85 per 100k) are some way behind, with no Northeastern states ranking among the worst speeding fatality spots, which suggests that the region has a comparatively much lower per capita risk.
The States With The Most Speeding-Related Traffic Fatalities
Once again, a look at the raw number of speeding deaths per state paints a significantly different picture than a consideration of speeding deaths per 100,000 residents.
- Texas 1,484
- California 1,303
- North Carolina 632
- Pennsylvania 491
- Illinois 436
- Arizona 425
- South Carolina 408
- Missouri 371
- Georgia 349
- Florida 349
As with drunk driving numbers, states like Texas and California once again lead in total speeding deaths, again largely due to their large populations and higher volume of traffic.
And yet, by looking at the ratio numbers of deaths per 100,000 residents, smaller states such as Wyoming, South Carolina, and Montana score high, which confirms considerable individual driver risk and localizes problematic driver behavior habits.
Not Wearing A Seatbelt
Despite obvious safety benefits (seatbelts reduce the likelihood of a front seat car occupant dying in a car accident by 45%), study data tells us that 8.8% of people still don’t use a seatbelt. Vehicle occupants avoid using one for a number of reasons, including comfort, overconfidence, a failure to appreciate risk, and even rebellious personal choice.
In rare cases, some people avoid using a seat belt due to an unfortunate experience (such as a past injury) or for medical reasons. In the main, though, it’s down to bad habits and bad, contrarian behavior.
Regional Hotspots
When it comes to using seatbelts, the West features the worst driving habits, with 7.61 fatalities per 100,000 residents. The South (6.45 per 100k) and Midwest (6.18) also carry high numbers of beltless fatalities. And, as with speeding fatalities, Northeastern states like New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts fare much better than states from other regions, with drivers from those areas doing much better at wearing their seatbelts.
The States With The Most Unbelted Traffic Fatalities
As with the other two covered factors (drunk driving and speeding), we’ll first look at the ratio of car occupants per 100,000 who died due to not wearing a seatbelt.
As with previous car crash fatality factors, the fatality numbers per 100,000 residents provide a markedly different result than the following overall fatality numbers.
- Texas 1,110
- Florida 811
- California 624
- Ohio 445
- Georgia 428
- North Carolina 408
- Pennsylvania 393
- Missouri 381
- Illinois 316
- Arizona 311
Once again, big states report the highest number of fatalities. In this case, Texas, Florida, and California top the list for unbelted deaths due to their population size and the number of drivers on their roads. And, as with earlier examples, small states like Wyoming, Montana, and South Carolina rank highest when it comes to unbelted fatalities per 100,000 residents. So, while large states again carry the heaviest numbers burden, residents of smaller rural states face a much higher individual risk of dying while unrestrained.
With all sets of data factored in – fatalities per 100k of residents plus overall fatality numbers – we can now combine drunk driving, speeding, and beltless fatality statistics to arrive at a fairly rigorous conclusion as to the most dangerous driving states in the U.S.
Worst Overall States For Car Accident Fatalities – Risk Factors Combined
The top 10 overall states – measured by a combined ‘risk score’ – represent a dangerous combination of high-risk driving behaviors.
These states, led by Wyoming, South Carolina, and Montana, consistently rank across all key dangerous driving factors. Key factors shared by the highest-placed states include their small size and rural status, long stretches of highway, comparatively ineffective traffic enforcement, and slipshod cultural attitudes toward seat belt use and drinking. Together, these recurring characteristics create a lethal combination that either facilitates or indirectly encourages risky driving habits.
States like New Mexico, Mississippi, and Louisiana also prominently figure on the ‘worst states’ list, suggesting that Southern and Western drivers observe bad driving habits that put them at relatively high risk of a fatal crash. It’s also important to note that emergency service responses in such areas tend to take much longer, meaning the permutations of car accidents are often worse and less likely to be successfully resolved.
Overall, the final, combined top 10 list highlights the fact that no single driving behavior is ever the issue. A dangerous combination of high-risk habits ultimately defines the deadliest states for drivers in the United States.
Weekdays vs. Weekends
If we compare weekday and weekend fatality data, an interesting contrast emerges.
At first glance, 2023 numbers suggest that more fatalities occur on weekdays: 23,562 weekday car accident deaths compared to 17,262 on weekends.
However, when we examine the data by individual day, it’s clear that weekends are disproportionately dangerous.
Saturday is the deadliest driving day of the week, followed closely by Sunday, with each accounting for more fatalities than any single weekday (although Friday isn’t too far behind). This means that while the cumulative weekday total is higher (simply due to the number of days), weekend days carry a much higher risk per day.
Study data reveals how ‘off the clock’ weekend behavior affects car fatality statistics. Once Friday night arrives, drivers indulge in ‘cognitive shortcuts’ after a week of dutiful restraint, and a neurological adjustment occurs, prioritizing reward and risk. Subsequent uninhibited late-night driving, alcohol use, and speeding (all while fatigued after a long week) combine to cause a spike in fatal crashes.
It’s also worth noting an additional issue contributing to a growing number of car accidents: distracted driving. And study data tells us that one-third of U.S. drivers admit to texting while driving, with smartphones now representing a serious threat to driver safety. This factor, particularly over the weekend, compounds crash risk, with thousands dead every year due to being distracted at the wheel.
The Factors That Need To Change To Save Lives
2023’s 40,901 motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S., the vast majority of which are due to drunk driving, speeding, and failing to wear a seat belt, were all far from inevitable. But only once you look beyond raw figures that place high-population states like Texas, California, and Florida at the top of dangerous driving lists can we understand the full picture.
When we adjust the means of measurement to focus on more than total numbers, we see that rural states like Wyoming, South Carolina, and Montana represent an enormously dangerous proposition for drivers. We can also see that the West leads in both speeding and beltless road fatalities, with the South not far behind. By using a more granular assessment of fatality statistics, we can pinpoint the fact that a lot of the states at the wrong end of fatality lists are hampered by the same things that compromise the safety of their roads. One common challenge is the surveillance of illegal driving behavior on long rural roadways, with very limited enforcement resources. Another is deep-seated cultural antipathy towards traffic laws and seat belt usage. For such things to change – and for many lives on the road to be spared – would require enormous amounts of funding and the evolution of longstanding habits and attitudes.
At the opposite end of the safety scale, Northeastern states seem to have matters far more under control. That’s down to a combination of contributory factors: a better driving culture, far more observance of driving safety regulations, and far more effective traffic safety enforcement.
And yet, focusing on individual state-driving safety issues in problem areas is the only way change can ever be delivered. At the very least, by looking at per-capita statistics as well as overall numbers, the states that need the most help when it comes to keeping their drivers safe know exactly what needs to be done.
Methodology
To determine which U.S. states pose the highest risk to drivers, this analysis combines three key behavioral factors known to contribute to fatal car crashes. They are: speeding, drunk driving, and vehicle occupants not wearing a seatbelt. We sourced data from the most recent publicly available federal and state-level transportation safety reports, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Each factor was measured in two key ways:
by looking at overall fatality figures (the number of deaths associated with each behavior in 2023);
and by looking at per capita numbers (fatalities per 100,000 residents).
For a reliable, multi-level analysis, each state’s overall numbers plus per capita rate for speeding fatalities, drunk driving fatalities, and unbelted fatalities were added together to create a ‘Combined Risk Score’. This score highlights the states where drivers are most at risk of dying in a car accident due to one or a combination of dangerous driving behaviors. States with the highest combined scores represent areas where multiple high-risk behaviors overlap, leading to their ranking as the most hazardous for drivers and passengers alike.
Both types of data – raw and per capita – are included in the report to provide a comprehensive view of broader impact as well as individual risk, to provide a balanced and accurate representation of traffic safety across the U.S.
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Data sources
NHTSA
National Safety Council
U.S. Census Bureau
