Safest States To Drive In

Overall, road safety in the United States has significantly improved over the last decade. Across the nation, road fatalities are down 22.9% since 2005. However, a recent study by University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute determined that road safety varies greatly by region and state. Though 47 states decreased fatalities on the road, there were three in which fatalities increased: Vermont, Maine, and North Dakota. The study showed that the most dangerous places to drive were in the the Northern Plains states and in the South. The safest states to drive were mostly in New England. This disparity could be attributed to a number of factors. One might be each state’s wealth as the top seven safest states are all part of the top 20 wealthiest, while 6 of the 7 most dangerous states rank in the poorest 20 states. Other studies have shown that though wealthy and poor individuals drink and drive equal amounts, wealthier individuals have access to safer cars and are more likely to buckle their seat belt. However, wealth was not the only factor. States with faster access to emergency care were more likely to be safer. Experts suggest that there could me many other factors that contribute to road safety including state driving laws, state driving enforcement, road conditions, access to emergency care, and many other possibilities. Thankfully, road safety is getting better as our technology improves with our knowledge of safety, but improvements in the future can always be made. Fatality Rate per Distance Driven: 1. District of Columbia: 4.2 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 2. Massachusetts: 6.24 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 3. Minnesota: 6.93 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 4. Connecticut: 7.55 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 5. Washington: 7.82 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 6. New Jersey: 7.94 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 7. Utah: 8.18 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 8. Rhode Island: 8.20 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 9. New Hampshire: 8.38 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 10. California: 8.76 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 11. Maryland: 8.94 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 12. New York: 9.11 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 13. Illinois: 9.14 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 14. Virginia: 9.60 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 15. Indiana: 9.87 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 16. Michigan: 9.92 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 17. Ohio: 9.96 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 18. Colorado: 10.09 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 19. Oregon: 10.13 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 20. Wisconsin: 10.41 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 21. Vermont: 10.67 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 22. Nevada: 10.68 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 23. Nebraska: 11.00 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 24. Georgia: 11.09 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 25. Idaho: 11.28 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 26. Maine: 11.55 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 27. Iowa: 11.55 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 28. Missouri: 12.06 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 29. North Carolina: 12.31 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 30. Alaska: 12.31 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 31. Delaware: 12.41 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 32. Hawaii: 12.54 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 33. Florida: 12.67 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 34. Kansas: 13.25 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 35. Pennsylvania: 13.25 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 36. Wyoming: 13.27 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 37. Alabama: 13.32 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 38. Arizona: 13.72 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 39. Tennessee: 14.25 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 40. New Mexico: 14.28 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 41. Texas: 14.29 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 42. South Dakota: 14.59 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 43. Oklahoma: 14.79 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 44. Mississippi: 15.05 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 45. Louisiana: 15.40 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 46. Kentucky: 15.76 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 47. Arkansas: 16.47 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 48. North Dakota: 16.86 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 49. Montana: 17.25 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 50. South Carolina: 17.60 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012 51. West Virginia: 17.63 fatalities per 1 billion miles driven in 2012