See the number of speeding related fatal car crashes for every state in the U.S.
Business litigation and personal injury lawyers, Heninger Garrison Davis, analyzed the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to find which state has the highest proportion of fatal crashes involving speed as a contributing factor. Speed-related factors include a driver exceeding the speed limit, driving too fast for the road conditions, or racing. This new and somewhat macabre study has revealed Utah as the state with the second highest rate of fatal crashes where speed was a contributing factor.
Wyoming tops the list with a staggering 28.43% of fatalities involving drivers travelling at inappropriate speeds, or 29 out of 102 recorded fatal crashes. This rate was found to be 63.84% higher than the national average, which stands at 17.35%.
Utah had the second highest rate of fatal crashes where speed was a contributing factor. In total 26.62%, or 78 out of 293, of all fatal crashes in Utah were recorded as involving incorrect driver speeds, a rate 53.41% above the national average.
Virginia ranks third with a rate of 26.49%, or 240 of the 906 fatal crashes in Virginia recorded as having speed as a contributing factor. This rate is 52.65% above the national average.
25.99%, or 242 of the 931 fatal crashes in Missouri involved speed as a contributing factor, which places Missouri as fourth in America for speed-related fatal crashes. Missouri’s rate is 49.79% above the national average.
Connecticut has the fifth highest rate of fatal crashes involving speed in America. 24.38% or 69 of the 283 total fatal crashes involved speed. This rate is 40.5% greater than the national average.
Colorado records thesixth highest proportion of fatal crashes involving speed (23.82%), while Florida ranks seventh (22.52%). Colorado was found to be 37.29% higher than the national average, while Florida was 29.74%.
Delaware (21.97%), Mississippi (21.52%), and Texas (21.07%)ranked eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively.
A spokesperson for Heninger Garrison Davis commented:
“The NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System is a vital tool in identifying how and where fatal crashes occur, which can hopefully be used to reduce the number of accidents on our roads, which includes speed related fatalities.
“The faster you travel, the less time you have to react to developing situations on the road, making a collision much more likely. Traveling at a higher speed also makes it significantly harder to stop or maneuver around a collision ahead of you.
“Ensuring that you leave an appropriate amount of space in front and to the sides of your vehicle, should allow ample time to react to developing situations around you and minimize the risk of being involved in a serious accident.”
Table showing the proportion of fatal crashes in each state
with speed listed as a contributing factor in comparison to the national average
| Rank | State | Fatal crashes with speed as a contributing factor | All fatal crashes | % of fatal crashes with speed as a contributing factor | Difference compared to the national average |
| 1. | Wyoming | 29 | 102 | 28.43% | +63.84% |
| 2. | Utah | 78 | 293 | 26.62% | +53.41% |
| 3. | Virginia | 240 | 906 | 26.49% | +52.65% |
| 4. | Missouri | 242 | 931 | 25.99% | +49.79% |
| 5. | Connecticut | 69 | 283 | 24.38% | +40.50% |
| 6. | Colorado | 152 | 638 | 23.82% | +37.29% |
| 7. | Florida | 777 | 3,451 | 22.52% | +29.74% |
| 8. | Delaware | 29 | 132 | 21.97% | +26.6% |
| 9. | Mississippi | 150 | 697 | 21.52% | +24.01% |
| 10. | Texas | 857 | 4,068 | 21.07% | +21.4% |
| 11. | Vermont | 14 | 69 | 20.29% | +16.92% |
| 12. | Arizona | 214 | 1,063 | 20.13% | +16.01% |
| 13. | Nevada | 72 | 360 | 20% | +15.25% |
| 14. | South Dakota | 26 | 131 | 19.85% | +14.37% |
| 15. | Arkansas | 124 | 631 | 19.65% | +13.24% |
| 16. | Washington | 117 | 603 | 19.4% | +11.81% |
| 17. | California | 767 | 3,983 | 19.26% | +10.97% |
| 18. | Pennsylvania | 222 | 1,153 | 19.25% | +10.95% |
| 19. | Montana | 42 | 222 | 18.92% | +9.02% |
| 20. | North Dakota | 16 | 85 | 18.82% | +8.47% |
| 21. | Oregon | 101 | 552 | 18.3% | +5.44% |
| 22. | New Mexico | 78 | 427 | 18.27% | +5.26% |
| 23. | Oklahoma | 124 | 681 | 18.21% | +4.93% |
| 24. | South Carolina | 201 | 1,112 | 18.08% | +4.16% |
| 25. | Rhode Island | 11 | 61 | 18.03% | +3.91% |
| 26. | Wisconsin | 103 | 572 | 18.01% | +3.77% |
| 27. | Alabama | 156 | 885 | 17.63% | +1.58% |
| 28. | Ohio | 214 | 1,242 | 17.23% | -0.71% |
| 29. | New Jersey | 110 | 669 | 16.44% | -5.25% |
| 30. | New York | 170 | 1,099 | 15.47% | -10.86% |
| 31. | Massachusetts | 61 | 397 | 15.37% | -11.46% |
| 32. | Alaska | 9 | 59 | 15.25% | -12.1% |
| 33. | West Virginia | 39 | 257 | 15.18% | -12.55% |
| 34. | Nebraska | 29 | 192 | 15.1% | -12.96% |
| 35. | Minnesota | 67 | 451 | 14.86% | -14.39% |
| 36. | Maine | 20 | 135 | 14.81% | -14.63% |
| 37. | Georgia | 246 | 1,670 | 14.73% | -15.11% |
| 38. | New Hampshire | 15 | 106 | 14.15% | -18.45% |
| 39. | Tennessee | 162 | 1,229 | 13.18% | -24.04% |
| 40. | North Carolina | 189 | 1,535 | 12.31% | -29.05% |
| 41. | Maryland | 64 | 522 | 12.26% | -29.35% |
| 42. | Michigan | 124 | 1,072 | 11.57% | -33.34% |
| 43. | Louisiana | 67 | 887 | 7.55% | -56.47% |
| 44. | Indiana | 62 | 863 | 7.18% | -58.6% |
| 45. | Illinois | 85 | 1,210 | 7.02% | -59.52% |
| 46. | Kansas | 24 | 381 | 6.3% | -63.7% |
| 47. | Iowa | 20 | 329 | 6.08% | -64.97% |
| 48. | Kentucky | 41 | 734 | 5.59% | -67.81% |
| 49. | Hawaii | 4 | 94 | 4.26% | -75.48% |
| 50. | Idaho | 10 | 244 | 4.1% | -76.38% |
| US Total | 6,856 | 39,508 | 17.35% |
–
–
(Source: Heninger Garrison Davis) / (Cover photo, YouTube Video)
(Methodology: The NHTSA FARS 2021 National Dataset was used in this study)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
