In 2018, there were 33,654 motor vehicle crashes that claimed the lives of 36,560 people in the United States. While these numbers remain alarming, this was a 2 percent decrease in deaths from fatal crashes compared to 2017 data.
At Cannon & Dunphy S.C., we are advocates of road safety aiming to make everyone in the United States aware of these crashes. We wanted to find out the number of fatal crashes with each state’s population to ultimately determine which state had the highest rate. Â So, we worked with the data visualization and consumer safety advocacy firm, Safer America, to analyze NHTSA fatal crash data from 2018.
There are many factors that contribute to fatal crashes in the United States. These include the types of vehicles driven, travel speeds, state traffic laws, and weather are just a few. The FARS data we analyzed took a close look at a state’s population, which had a tremendous effect on the number of auto accident deaths. We then used the raw total numbers of 2018’s fatal crashes to calculate the fatal crash rate per 100,000 in population for every state in the United States.
As a result, we discovered the 2018 national average fatal crash rate per 100,000 people was 11.2.
The five states with the highest fatal crash rates in 2018:
- Mississippi
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Wyoming
- New Mexico
These 5 states ranked above the national average.
The five states with the lowest fatal crash rates in 2018:
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- Massachusetts
- New York
- District of Columbia
These 5 states ranked below the national average.
2018 National Fatal Crash Rates in Relation to National Average
*Fatal crash rates expressed per 100,000 people in each state.
| Rank | State | Pop | Fatal Crashes | Deaths | Fatal Crash Rate | Relation to National Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 2,986,530 | 597 | 664 | 19.99 | Above |
| 2 | South Carolina | 5,084,127 | 970 | 1,037 | 19.08 | Above |
| 3 | Alabama | 4,887,871 | 876 | 953 | 17.92 | Above |
| 4 | Wyoming | 577,737 | 100 | 111 | 17.31 | Above |
| 5 | New Mexico | 2,095,428 | 350 | 391 | 16.70 | Above |
| 6 | Montana | 1,062,305 | 168 | 182 | 15.81 | Above |
| 7 | Arkansas | 3,013,825 | 472 | 516 | 15.66 | Above |
| 8 | Louisiana | 4,659,978 | 716 | 768 | 15.36 | Above |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 3,943,079 | 603 | 655 | 15.29 | Above |
| 10 | Kentucky | 4,468,402 | 664 | 724 | 14.86 | Above |
| 11 | West Virginia | 1,805,832 | 265 | 294 | 14.67 | Above |
| 12 | Tennessee | 6,770,010 | 974 | 1,041 | 14.39 | Above |
| 13 | Missouri | 6,126,452 | 848 | 921 | 13.84 | Above |
| 14 | Florida | 21,299,325 | 2,915 | 3,133 | 13.69 | Above |
| 15 | Georgia | 10,519,475 | 1,407 | 1,504 | 13.38 | Above |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,171,646 | 916 | 1,010 | 12.77 | Above |
| 17 | North Carolina | 10,383,620 | 1,321 | 1,437 | 12.72 | Above |
| 18 | Kansas | 2,911,505 | 366 | 404 | 12.57 | Above |
| 19 | North Dakota | 760,077 | 95 | 105 | 12.50 | Above |
| 20 | South Dakota | 882,235 | 110 | 130 | 12.47 | Above |
| 21 | Idaho | 1,754,208 | 212 | 231 | 12.09 | Above |
| 22 | Indiana | 6,691,878 | 774 | 858 | 11.57 | Above |
| 23 | Texas | 28,701,845 | 3,305 | 3,642 | 11.51 | Above |
| 24 | Delaware | 967,171 | 104 | 111 | 10.75 | Below |
| 25 | Oregon | 4,190,713 | 450 | 506 | 10.74 | Below |
| 26 | Nebraska | 1,929,268 | 201 | 230 | 10.42 | Below |
| 27 | Colorado | 5,695,564 | 588 | 632 | 10.32 | Below |
| 28 | Nevada | 3,034,392 | 300 | 330 | 9.89 | Below |
| 29 | New Hampshire | 1,356,458 | 134 | 147 | 9.88 | Below |
| 30 | Vermont | 626,299 | 60 | 68 | 9.58 | Below |
| 31 | Maine | 1,338,404 | 128 | 137 | 9.56 | Below |
| 32 | Alaska | 737,438 | 69 | 80 | 9.36 | Below |
| 33 | Iowa | 3,156,145 | 291 | 318 | 9.22 | Below |
| 34 | Virginia | 8,517,685 | 778 | 820 | 9.13 | Below |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 5,813,568 | 530 | 588 | 9.12 | Below |
| 36 | Michigan | 9,995,915 | 905 | 974 | 9.05 | Below |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 12,807,060 | 1,103 | 1,190 | 8.61 | Below |
| 38 | Ohio | 11,689,442 | 996 | 1,068 | 8.52 | Below |
| 39 | California | 39,557,045 | 3,259 | 3,563 | 8.24 | Below |
| 40 | Maryland | 6,042,718 | 474 | 501 | 7.84 | Below |
| 41 | Hawaii | 1,420,491 | 110 | 117 | 7.74 | Below |
| 42 | Connecticut | 3,572,665 | 276 | 294 | 7.73 | Below |
| 43 | Utah | 3,161,105 | 237 | 260 | 7.50 | Below |
| 44 | Illinois | 12,741,080 | 948 | 1,031 | 7.44 | Below |
| 45 | Washington | 7,535,591 | 497 | 546 | 6.60 | Below |
| 46 | Minnesota | 5,611,179 | 349 | 381 | 6.22 | Below |
| 47 | New Jersey | 8,908,520 | 525 | 564 | 5.89 | Below |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 1,057,315 | 56 | 59 | 5.30 | Below |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 6,902,149 | 343 | 360 | 4.97 | Below |
| 50 | New York | 19,542,209 | 889 | 943 | 4.55 | Below |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 702,455 | 30 | 31 | 4.27 | Below |
As seen from the table above, District of Columbia (D.C.) had the lowest fatal crash death rate of 4.27, while Mississippi held the highest of 19.99. Between the lowest and highest state, there was a 15.72 difference in fatal crash rate.
Which States Barely Passed National Average?
- Texas – 11.51
- Indiana – 11.57
Which States Barely Remained Below Nation Average?
- Delaware – 10.75
- Oregon – 10.74
Overall 23 states had a fatal crash rate higher than the national average, while 28 states were below it.
Key Takeaways
Even though the U.S. population has been steadily growing since 1975, the death crash rates per 100,000 population in 2018 is about half of what it was years ago. Car accidents are inevitable, however, our personal injury lawyers in Milwaukee have plenty of safety tips that can help protect you from an accident.
- Do not drink or drive under any circumstance.
- Pull into traffic slowly. Be sure to stop when appropriate, look at all mirrors, be aware of blind spots.
- Drive defensively whenever needed. Always expect the unexpected, and be ready to adjust accordingly.
- Drive without any distractions. Be sure to put the phone down. Keep your eyes on the road at all times.
- Avoid speeding. Speeding is one major factor in all types of accidents.
- Keep up with the car maintenance. Make sure your tires are properly inflated, fluids are not low, and car brakes are functioning properly.