These 6 States Have the Most Car Crashes

In 2021, 42,939 people in the United States died as a result of motor vehicle crashes. However, your chance of both getting into a car accident and dying in a car crash varies based on the state you live in.

Not all states are equal when it comes to the prevalence of car crashes and fatal accidents. Some states have drivers that have statistically shown themselves to be more prone to accidents, and if you live in one of these states, you could be more at risk than you realize.

In this guide, we'll give you an overview of the 6 states with the most car accidents.

Total Car Accidents Vs Fatal Car Accidents

When considering which states have the most car crashes each year, it's important to understand that there's a difference between a fatal car accident and a nonfatal auto accident.

Although it may seem as though a state that has many car accidents each year will also have many fatalities, this isn't the case. Many states have a large number of car accidents when compared to the national average while also having fewer fatalities than average.

If you're injured in a car crash, however, you'll still want to take the right approach afterward. Hiring a law firm such as Alpha Accident Lawyers can be helpful if you've experienced an auto accident.

Considering the At-Fault Accident Rate

When considering the states with the most car crashes, a great metric to look at is the at-fault accident rate.

Determining the number of at-fault accidents on the driving records of a state's residents can reveal a lot about which states are the most dangerous and have the most traffic accidents overall. The national average of at-fault accidents is 8.8%. The states on this list have at-fault accident rates that are significantly higher than this.

There are other metrics to look at to determine the safety of a state's roads as well. This includes the number of fatalities per 100 million miles that a state's residents drive and the number of fatal car crashes per capita.

Which States Have the Most Car Accidents?

So which states have the most auto accidents? Here are the states that have the highest number of car crashes each year.

1. South Carolina

South Carolina has the highest at-fault auto crash rate in the country. There is a 12% at-fault accident rate in South Carolina, so drivers in the state caused a high number of accidents in 2022.

In addition to this, there were 962 fatal car crashes reported in 2020 with a death rate of 20.7. There were 1.97 traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled and 1 in 4,831 people are killed in traffic accidents in South Carolina each year.

South Carolina is reported to have roads that are pretty rough and could use a lot of work, so this could contribute to the high accident rates in the state.

2. Massachusetts

Massachusetts also takes a top spot and has a high number of accidents as well. In Massachusetts, there is an at-fault accident rate of 11.9%, which is pretty close to South Carolina's high rate.

As opposed to South Carolina, however, there's a significantly lower number of traffic fatalities in the state. There were 327 fatal car crashes reported in 2020. There were 0.63 traffic fatalities per 100 million miles traveled and only 1 in 20,408 people are killed in Massachusetts traffic accidents each year.

Overall, it's likely that you could get in an accident when driving in Massachusetts. However, the chance of having a fatal accident is significantly less than in many other states in the country.

3. Ohio

In the state of Ohio, 11.4% of drivers have had an at-fault accident. This number is significantly higher than the national average.

Like Massachusetts, fatalities are lower than average in the state. There were 1,154 traffic fatalities in 2020 out of the nearly 12 million people who call the state their home.

This amounts to 1.19 traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles driven. 1 in 9,615 people are killed in Ohio traffic accidents on an annual basis.

As you can see, car crashes in the state are pretty common. However, the likelihood of experiencing a fatal accident is relatively small compared to other states.

4. Nebraska

In Nebraska, 10.6% of drivers have a record of at-fault accidents and this is more than the national average of 8.8%.

The number of fatalities in the state of Nebraska is lower than the nation's average. There were only 217 fatal car crashes in 2020. There are 1.20 traffic fatalities in Nebraska for every 100 million miles traveler and 1 in 8,403 people are killed in car accidents each year.

From looking at the data, it's clear that Nebraska is pretty dangerous for drivers and passengers on the road. However, the number of fatalities is lower than average. Driving in the state isn't quite as dangerous as doing so in other states such as South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Ohio.

5. Georgia

Georgia is a pretty dangerous state for drivers and passengers as well. Like in Nebraska, there is an at-fault accident rate of 10.6%.

Unlike some of the other states on this list, Georgia also has a high fatality rate as well. There were 1,522 total car crash fatalities in the state in 2020. Georgia has 1.43 traffic fatalities for every 100 million miles traveled by vehicles in the state and 1 in 6,452 people are killed in traffic accidents in Georgia every year.

As you can see, Georgia is a pretty dangerous state for drivers and the likelihood of both car accidents and fatalities is pretty high. You'll want to use caution if you find yourself living in or driving through the state.

6. Maryland

In Maryland, there is an at-fault accident rate of 10.5%, and compared to the national average, this is 19% higher.

There were 540 fatal crashes in the state in 2020 and there was a lower number of accidents per capita than many other states in the nation. Maryland has 1.11 traffic fatalities for every 100 million miles driven in the state and one in 10,870 people are killed in traffic accidents each year.

Although it takes the 6th spot on this list, Maryland is a dangerous place to be as a driver and accidents are common compared to other states. Deaths are relatively uncommon, however, so you're less likely to have a fatal accident when experiencing an accident in this state.

Protecting Yourself From Car Crashes

If you want to be a safe driver, it's important to understand the risk of car crashes. You'll especially want to be careful if you live in a state with a high number of accidents per capita, such as South Carolina, Massachusetts, Ohio, Nebraska, Georgia, or Maryland.

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