States that are most unsafe for drivers

Illinois motorists who are planning on traveling to visit family and friends over the Christmas holidays may be interested in reading about the 10 most dangerous states in which to drive. While the amount of traffic fatalities is declining, car accidents still pose a serious problem, especially in some states.

According to 2014 statistics, the state with the highest rate of traffic fatalities was Wyoming, where 25.7 fatalities for every 100,000 individuals occurred. Compared with the fatality rate in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, which were the safest states to drive in, this was five times higher.One contributing factor for the large amount of fatality rates in some states is rural roadway driving. While nearly a fifth of the U.S. population resides in rural areas, and less than a third of the vehicle miles are driven on rural roadways, more than 50 percent of crash-related fatalities happen in these areas, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Drivers tend to increase their speeds, fail to use their seat belts and drive carelessly on rural-type roadways, whereas in more populated geographies, such as cities, the roadways are safer. Another danger facing rural road drivers is that they are more likely to hit a wild animal that darts onto the road.

Drinking and driving are a leading cause of car wrecks. Statistics show that almost a third of the motorists who were killed in 2014 accidents had a BAC at or higher than the legal limit. Unfortunately, occupants of other vehicles are often killed by drunk drivers as well, and their surviving family members may want to have legal assistance in seeking compensation for their losses from the impaired motorist or his or her estate.

Source: The Huffington Post, “Top 10 Most Dangerous States To Drive In”, Michael Sauter, May 13, 2016