Wheel Danger Ahead
Every year, hundreds of Americans lose their lives on the road. So, your chances of being in a fatal accident could depend on where you live. The next time you visit these 13 states, be alert and extra cautious while on the road.
Mississippi
Mississippi has reported many deadly car accidents as of September 2024, with about 67.82 fatalities for every 100,000 licensed drivers. In terms of residents, around 24.52 were killed in these crashes. Back in 2022, the state had recorded 703 car crash deaths.
formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Mississippi (Cont.)
The quite obvious causes of these accidents are speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving. Some reports show that over 90% of car accidents are due to driver errors, while common issues include lack of seatbelt use and driving under the influence.
formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wyoming
Based on estimates, it looks like motor vehicle deaths in Wyoming have dropped about 27% as of September 2024. This means there are around 28 fewer fatalities compared to previous years. Many accidents happen on rural roads, while crashes from drifting out of lanes are frequent.
David Moulton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Wyoming (Cont.)
The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) has been working on V2X technology for years now. This tech known as Vehicle-to-Everything lets vehicles communicate with each other and with infrastructure, which helps keep everyone safer and makes traffic flow better.
Postdlf, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Arkansas
Apparently, Arkansas had one of the highest roadway fatality rates in the US, sitting at 21.1 deaths for every 100,000 people in 2022. Between 2021 and 2023, Arkansas actually dropped traffic fatalities by 12% and saw a 13% decline in the fatality rate.
Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Arkansas (Cont.)
An interesting initiative known as the “Extreme Safety” Campaign took place from September 3 to September 16, 2024. This initiative was started by the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office. They aimed to make conditions safer for pedestrians and bikers.
TBKS1, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
South Carolina
South Carolina has seen 1,198 traffic deaths this year, which gives it a fatality rate of 23.1 deaths for every 100,000 residents. Even though traffic deaths dropped by 14% from 2021 to 2023, the big picture from 2013 to 2023 shows a 34% rise in unfortunate fatalities.
South Carolina (Cont.)
So, the overall cost of deadly and serious car crashes in South Carolina is something around $30.9 billion. This figure covers the economic costs and quality-of-life impacts. Also, in July 2024, South Carolina received federal funding aimed at improving road infrastructure for safety.
Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Alabama
As of September 1, 2024, Alabama has allegedly experienced 32 fewer traffic fatalities compared to the same time in 2023. It is said that over Labor Day weekend in 2024, Alabama had six traffic deaths, showing that holiday travel can still be pretty dangerous.
Nhlarry, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Alabama (Cont.)
Something known as “The 101 Days of Summer Safety Campaign” was set up in order to tackle the “100 deadliest days of summer”. It’s basically about spreading the word on risky driving habits and getting everyone to drive safely during this time, especially youngsters.
Airtuna08, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
New Mexico
Albuquerque, the famous city of New Mexico, was ranked by USA Today as having the third-highest number of traffic deaths in the country back in September 2024. In 2022, the city saw a total of 12,577 accidents, and sadly, 87 of those were fatal crashes.
John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
New Mexico (Cont.)
According to TRIP, which is based on NHTSA’s traffic crash cost methodology, fatal and serious traffic crashes in New Mexico in 2023 resulted in societal harm valued at $10 billion. This included $2.5 billion in economic expenses and $7.5 billion in quality-of-life costs.
Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
California
As of July 2024, Los Angeles, California, had witnessed 170 traffic-related deaths. It was a tiny drop from 174 fatalities over the same time last year in 2023. Also, it is reported that from January to July 2024, around 90 pedestrians passed on in incidents related to traffic.
Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
California (Cont.)
Similarly, there were 62 people who lost their lives in hit-and-run cases linked with felonies during the first half of this year. Vision Zero is an initiative launched in Los Angeles in September 2014 with the goal of eradicating all traffic deaths by 2025.
Daniel R. Blume, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Texas
It’s quite disturbing to note that during the first six months of 2024, more people died in vehicle crashes than in homicides, even though 158 of them were reported. This was the first time since 2019 in Houston that traffic-related deaths have outnumbered homicides.
Ed Edahl / FEMA, Wikimedia Commons
Texas (Cont.)
The High Injury Network (HIN) is a helpful network that helps to identify areas within Houston that are prone to fatalities. Many hit-and-run cases have also occurred. For example, a tourist visiting Houston was killed in a hit-and-run incident on I-10 eastbound in September this year.
Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Connecticut
So, Deputy Commissioner Laoise King of the Connecticut Department of Transportation stated that 366 people lost their lives on Connecticut roads in 2022. This was the highest number in forty years. In mid-October of that year, the state also reported 275 fatalities on the roads.
Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Connecticut (Cont.)
According to the info from UConn, New Haven is said to have the highest number of fatal crashes in the state this year, with eight incidents. Hartford comes next with six, and Waterbury isn’t far behind with five. Windsor and Bridgeport each had four fatal crashes.
Ben Schumin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Georgia
During the Independence Day holiday travel period that transpired from July 3 to July 7, 2024, 18 traffic deaths were reported. The Georgia State Patrol managed to investigate 12 of those fatal crashes. Troopers also looked into more than 500 other traffic collisions.
Airtuna08, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Georgia (Cont.)
On that day, over 33,000 traffic stops were conducted by troopers and MCCD officers, who also issued around 19,400 fines, 23,000 warnings, and 500 DUI arrests. Can you believe it? Someone even tragically died in a car crash in the Atlanta area on November 17 this year.
B137, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Florida
As of November 2024, this state has witnessed around 339,038 fatal crashes, while fatalities from all crashes were stated to be 2648. So, the FLHSMV (Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) says that Miami-Dade had the most crashes compared to any other county.
B137, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Florida (Cont.)
Miami-Dade had a total of 25,372 injuries, with 16,443 of those being hit-and-run cases, which unfortunately led to 29 fatalities. In addition to that, there were 2,589 fatal clashes and 249 fatalities related to substance use. St. Patrick’s Day and Spring break are seen as accident-prone days.
Pennsylvania
Sometime in 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported that there were 115,938 car crashes. Out of those, 49,068 led to injuries, and sadly, 1,092 resulted in fatalities. Drivers who zipped through intersections without checking if it was safe caused 6000+ crashes.
Jeffrey M. Vinocur, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pennsylvania (Cont.)
Starting off 2024, traffic fatalities in Philadelphia showed a little improvement. Apparently, there have been 16 deaths, and 10 of those were pedestrians. This is actually the lowest number of fatal crashes we’ve seen in the first quarter since 2019.
Michigan
According to the Michigan State Police, Jackson County saw 25 fatal accidents in 2024, a 20% jump from last year. More than 500 injuries were reported, all ranging from minor to severe. The high-risk areas here are said to be I-94 and US-127.
