Minnesotans can be quite proud. Our state is number 46th of the 50 states and the District of Columbia for the number of traffic-related fatalities.
That’s according to a research study recently released by Automoblog. It was based on data available through 2022.
But before we toot our own horns, we should remember that even one traffic fatality is one too many.
To determine the most dangerous and safest states for drivers, Automoblog researchers combined data points from six risk categories: traffic fatalities, alcohol, speed limits, sleep deprivation and road conditions. Those categories’ scores were then weighted to calculate the Automoblog Driver Danger Index. That metric provides a score for each state on a 100-point scale, with higher numbers reflecting more dangerous states.
The study has bad news for Wyoming, which emerged as the most dangerous state for drivers overall, with the worst score of 91.5.
That’s due largely to the rate of traffic fatalities involving alcohol, which is nearly double that of the national average. Wyoming also has the second-worst roads in the country, meaning drivers face a relatively large number of hazards while navigating the state’s highways and backroads.
The other nine worst states for fatalities were, in this order, South Carolina, Mississippi, New Mexico, Montana, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota, North Dakota and Alabama.
Mississippi has the highest fatality rate in the country, with 26.5 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021. That figure is 103 percent higher than the national average.
The 10 safest places (besides Minnesota in 46th place, with its 71.2 overall score) were Washington, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and District of Columbia (the safest with an overall score of 66.3).
Since 1979, the traffic deaths per 100,000 people nationally declined more or less steadily in the United States. However, starting in 2019, fatalities began to increase from 11.1 deaths per 100,000 to 12.9 in 2021. In 1979, there were 22.7 traffic deaths per 100,000 people nationally.
The all-time low for fatalities was 10.3 per 100,000 people in 2014. The Automoblog study showed there is a definite correlation among the factors that contribute to roadway deaths. They include motorists imbibing too much alcohol, speed limits too high or disobeyed, sleep deprivation, distracted drivers and road conditions.
We in Minnesota can be pleased by our relatively good safety score but again we should remind ourselves and others always to buckle up and never to drive while inebriated or high on drugs, never while sleep-deprived, never while speeding, never while distracted by electronic devices and never while extremely angry.
So, that said, let’s all buckle up, obey all the rules and live, live, live.
