Top 10 Worst States for Reckless Driving!

Article courtesy of Whitley Law Firm.

• A new study reveals which U.S. states have the most dangerous drivers based on rates of speeding and drunk driving recorded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 
• South Carolina ranks first for speeding-related crashes with 7.74 speeding vehicles involved per 100,000 residents, which is significantly higher than the national average. 
• Montana has the highest rate of drunk driving incidents, with 7.60 drunk drivers involved in crashes per 100,000 residents.

A new study by Personal Injury Lawyers Whitley Law Firm,

reveals the states with the highest rates of dangerous driving behaviors on American roads.

Using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 2018 to 2022, the study ranked all states based on rates of speeding and drunk driving incidents per 100,000 residents.

South Carolina ranks as the most dangerous state for speeding-related crashes. The state recorded 7.74 speeding vehicles involved in crashes per 100,000 residents, which is significantly higher than most other states.

Wyoming follows in second place with 7.25 speeding vehicles involved in crashes per 100,000 residents.

New Mexico ranks third with 6.75, while Montana and Missouri complete the top five with 5.82 and 5.53 respectively.

The study found that Montana had the highest rate of drunk driving, with 7.60 drunk drivers involved in crashes per 100,000 residents. South Carolina ranks second for drunk driving with 6.61, followed by Louisiana with a rate of 6.44.

Four states appear in both top five rankings for speeding and drunk driving: South Carolina, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico.

In contrast, Florida recorded the lowest rate of speeding vehicles involved in crashes at just 1.29 per 100,000 residents. This is notably lower than the national average.

New Jersey ranked second-lowest for speeding with 1.41 vehicles per 100,000 residents, followed by Massachusetts (1.42), New York (1.60), and Nebraska (1.75).

For drunk driving, New York had the lowest rate with 1.33 drunk drivers involved in crashes per 100,000 residents. The District of Columbia ranked second-lowest with 1.57, followed by Massachusetts (1.81), Utah (1.93), and Pennsylvania (1.94).

The study found Rhode Island had the highest percentage of speeding vehicles, at 33.2%.

Montana not only had the highest rate of drunk drivers per capita but also the highest percentage of drunk drivers as a proportion of all drivers involved in crashes, at 35.6%. This means that in Montana, more than one-third of drivers involved in crashes were drunk.

The analysis shows significant regional patterns. Southern states like South Carolina and Louisiana appear frequently in the highest-risk categories, while northeastern states like New York and Massachusetts consistently show lower risk rates.

A total of five states appeared in both the bottom ten for speeding and drunk driving: New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Utah.

Mississippi ranked 47th for the percentage of speeding vehicles involved in crashes (10.7%) but 24th for drunk drivers per 100,000 population.

Top ten states ranked by speeding vehicles per 100,000 population

A spokesperson from Whitley Law Firm added:

“The level of dangerous driving we see in some of these states is alarming and points to serious road safety issues that need addressing. Accidents caused by speeding and drunk driving are almost entirely preventable, yet they continue to claim lives across America. Every speeding or drunk driving crash represents a failure of personal responsibility. Simple choices like slowing down and arranging alternate transportation after drinking can save lives.

The data in this study shows clear patterns that could help target safety campaigns and enforcement efforts where they’re most needed.”

Methodology:

FARS data detailing traffic crashes for the years 2018-2022 was sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The details of all vehicles involved in crashes was used to determine the number of speeding vehicles that were recorded to have been involved. The details of all people involved in crashes was used to determine the number of drunk drivers that were recorded to have been involved. The states were then analyzed by calculating the average yearly number of speeding vehicles and drunk drivers involved in the five-year period per 100k population. The states are then ranked from the highest number of vehicles/drivers to the lowest.

Source:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – https://www.nhtsa.gov/file-downloads?p=nhtsa/downloads/