5 states accounted for almost 40% of US traffic deaths in 2022

Here's an interesting article from Moneywise. If you live in these 5 states that account for 40% of U.S. Traffic deaths, I would guess that car insurance rates are generally higher than the other 45 states. Spoiler- Not really surprised that Texas is on this list, as I visited Dallas last December and they drive 100 mph and weave a lot on the highways- it was frightening. Read on for the 5 Worst states!!

These 5 states alone accounted for almost 40% of US traffic deaths in 2022 — is yours one of them?

Amy Legate-Wolfe, Wed, March 15, 2023, Yahoo Finance

Forbes calculated that one fatal car accident occurs every 15 minutes in the United States. To break that down further, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently reported the country saw 31,785 fatalities on the road in the first nine months of 2022.

These five states in particular represent 37% of the total road deaths in 2022. Which means if you’re driving through one of these states, you’ll want to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.

Texas

The Lone Star State recorded 3,349 fatalities in 2022, a 0.4% increase from the year before.

While you might be quick to assume major cities like Houston, San Antonio and Dallas were driving the increase, in fact, 51% of the state’s fatalities in 2021 were in rural areas, according to the Texas Tribune. That’s a massive percentage when you consider that only 10% of the state’s population lives in a rural area.

The Tribune report identified a few reasons for this. The biggest issue is high speeds with low seatbelt usage. But it also comes down to spotty cell coverage, which makes it difficult at times to call for help or receive backup. On top of that, many of these rural areas don’t have designated trauma centers nearby. 

California

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the next highest on the list is also the second largest state. California saw 3,178 fatalities in 2022, a decrease of 2.2% from the year before. California's pain point is Los Angeles.

For the first time in two decades, traffic deaths for the city passed 300 in 2022, according to the L.A. Times. This was a 5% increase from 2021, and a whopping 29% from 2020, during the height of the pandemic. Pedestrians and cyclists are especially vulnerable in L.A., with 159 deaths resulting from collisions involving pedestrians and motorists and another 20 deaths from crashes involving cyclists and cars.

However, it should be noted that outside of L.A., everything from unrestrained vehicle collisions to alcohol-impaired driving decreased year-over-year in California.

Florida

The Sunshine State also marked a high level of fatalities in 2022, reaching 2,762 deaths for the first nine months of the year. While this was a decrease of 1.2%, not all of the state was able to see such an improvement.

One county in particular reached a terrible record of fatalities, according to WGCU. Lee County reached a staggering 123 deaths in 2022, more than double the amount of fatalities compared to the second-highest county.

The specific fatality that set the record took place after a crash on the side of the Caloosahatchee Bridge. While it was a localized occurrence, state officials say it reflects the overarching issues they’re dealing with in the state, including impatient and aggressive drivers, distracted driving and unbuckled vehicle occupants.

Georgia

Georgia saw 1,353 road fatalities in the first three-quarters of 2023 — a 3.8% increase from the year before.

And while 2022 proved troubling for fatalities, Georgia proved to already be off to a poor start in 2023 as well. There were an astonishing 19 fatalities from car crashes over New Year’s. And looking at the entire holiday season, the state saw a total of 32 fatalities — double last year’s count of 16.

North Carolina

Finally, North Carolina had the fifth-highest number of fatalities in 2022. While the state’s numbers remained fairly stable — up 0.3% to 1,238 fatalities — the number of alcohol-related deaths were on the rise.   In the last year, alcohol was a factor in 22% of fatalities in the state.

Furthermore, in 2022, the number of crashes that caused injuries was higher than the four-year average. It’s been such an issue that the North Carolina Department of Transportation launched a campaign, dubbed “Booze It & Lose It,” which resulted in charges against 1,900 drivers for driving while intoxicated in 2021.

But drunk driving isn’t the only issue on North Carolina’s roads. There’s been a 15% increase in distracted driving behavior in just the last five years, which resulted in 117 fatalities in 2021. A bill to make holding handheld devices illegal while operating a vehicle was tabled in 2022, but could be reintroduced at some point this year.

Can these stats impact your insurance rates? 

More traffic accidents mean more insurance claims and the total number of car insurance claims in your state can impact the price you pay for auto insurance.

For example, Florida has one of the highest average annual insurance rates for full coverage in the country at $4,326, according to Forbes. Comparatively, Americans paid an average of $1,553 a year for auto insurance in 2022.