Top 10 States with the Most Automotive Fatalities

Fatal accidents have been on the decline in the United States since 2005. In that year, there were 39,525 people killed in automobile accidents according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatalities Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Five years later, there has been a significant drop in the numbers of Americans killed in car crashes. In 2009, there were only 30,797 auto related fatalities.

Each of the 10 states in this list experienced a drop in car accident fatalities in the span from 2008 to 2009.   Even though fatal accidents are lessening, they still occur each and every day. We’ve also compiled a listing of the top 10 states with the least automotive fatalities, if you’d like to see the inverse side of the statistics.  With all of this in mind, let’s look at the top ten states with the most car accident related fatalities:

10. Illinois

While it’s the 5th most populated state, and home to Chicago, the third most populated city, in the United States, Illinois is relatively safe, since it places tenth overall in 2009 automotive related fatalities with 911 in total. That was a significant decrease from 2008, when Illinois experienced 1,043 fatalities from car accidents. The state is also has one of the lowest overall fatality rates based on miles driven, with 0.98 fatalities per 100 million miles driven.

9. Tennessee

Unlike our previous entry, Tennessee seems to be an overachiever. The nation’s 17th most populated state – total population of just over 6.2 million residents – ranks 9th overall in total automotive related fatalities. Tennessee had 989 fatalities from car accidents in 2009. It also held true to the nationwide trend of lower fatalities, down from 1,043 in 2008. Tennessee has 1.5 fatalities for every 100 million miles driven.

8. Ohio

Ohio is the 7th most populated state in the nation with almost 11.5 million residents. The state had 1,021 automotive related fatalities in 2009, which represented a significant drop from the 1,191 fatalities they had in 2008. Ohio has 1.1 fatalities per every 100 million miles driven.

7. New York

Home to New York City, the nation’s most populous city, New York is the 3rd most populated state in the nation. There were a total of 1,156 automotive related fatalities in 2009, compared to 1,238 in 2008. The state has the lowest number of any in terms of miles driven, with just 0.92 fatalities for every 100 million miles driven.

6. Pennsylvania

As the only commonwealth represented on this list, Pennsylvania is the 6th most populous state in the union with just over 12.7 million residents. Pennsylvania had 1,256 automotive related fatalities in 2009, down dramatically from 1,468 in 2008. The Keystone state has 1.36 fatalities for every 100 million miles driven.

5. Georgia

The peach known as Georgia is the 9th most populated state in the U.S. with just at 9.7 million residents. Georgia had a total of 1,284 car related fatalities in 2009, which was down from the 1,495 fatalities the state experienced in 2008. Georgia has 1.37 fatalities for every 100 million miles driven.

4. North Carolina

North Carolina is the 10th most populated state in the U.S. with just over 9.5 million residents. The state had a total of 1,314 automotive related fatalities in 2009, down from 1,428 in 2008. While North Carolina did experience a decline in overall fatalities, the state actually rose on this list between 2008-2009 since Georgia and Pennsylvania experienced much larger declines. There are 1.4 fatalities in Georgia for every 100 million miles driven.

3. Florida

The sunshine state is the 4th most populous in the nation, with just over 18.8 million people. Florida had a total of 2,558 automotive fatalities in 2009, which was a dramatic decline from 2008, when they experienced 2,980. Florida has 1.5 fatalities for every 100 million miles driven.

2. Texas

As the 2nd most populated state in the nation, Texas’ appearance in the second slot shouldn’t come as a surprise. Total population of Texas is just over 25 million. There were 3,071 fatalities in 2009, down from the 3,476 Texas experienced in 2008. Texas has 1.48 fatalities for each 100 million miles driven there.

1. California

With more than 37 million residents, California is far and away the highest populated state in the nation. Despite the huge population, California only had 10 more automotive related fatalities than Texas. The total number of deaths was 3,081 in 2009, down from 3,434 in 2008. The state has a low rate of 1.05 deaths per each 100 million miles driven.

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