Mathew B. Sims is Editor-in-Chief and has authored, edited, and contributed to several books. He has been working in the insurance industry ensuring content is accurate for consumers who are searching for the best policies and rates. He has also been featured on sites like UpJourney.

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Dan Walker graduated with a BS in Administrative Management in 2005 and has been working in his family’s insurance agency, FCI Agency, for 15 years (BBB A+). He is licensed as an agent to write property and casualty insurance, including home, auto, umbrella, and dwelling fire insurance. He’s also been featured on sites like Reviews.com and Safeco. He reviews content, ensuring that ex...

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Reviewed by Daniel Walker
Licensed Auto Insurance Agent

UPDATED: Apr 23, 2020

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Things to Remember...

  • Our dedicated team of researchers analyze crash data to make driving safer
  • We conduct hundreds of in-depth studies, some with over 25,000 data points
  • Below you’ll find each state’s rankings according to our most-recent studies

Our studies include:

#1 – Best Drivers in the US by State

We’ve ranked each state in each of these categories:

  • Fatalities Rate per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled
  • Failure to Obey
  • Drunk Driving
  • Speeding
  • Careless Driving

Rankings for each category are compiled into a “Total Score” and determine the best drivers by state. In short, the best states have the highest scores; the worst have the lowest scores. You can review all of the data here.

#2 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities

Each state was ranked in these categories

  • Total Fatalities by 100 Million Miles Driven
  • Total Driver Fatalities
  • Total Motorcyclist Fatalities
  • Total Passenger Fatalities
  • Total Pedestrian Fatalities
  • Total Pedacyclist Fatalities

Each state was provided a total score with each category. Higher scores are better; lower scores are worse.

Two additional categories — Fatalities by Vehicle Position and Chances of Being in a Fatal Car Crash — provide information for the six main categories and overall rankings. You can review all of the data here.

#3 – Safest Highway by State

We compiled data in these categories for this study:

  • Interstate Speeding Fatalities per Mile of Interstate
  • Percent of Drivers without Seatbelts
  • Highway Bridges Rated Obsolete or Deficient
  • Highway Deaths per 1,000 Highway Miles Traveled
  • Federal Funding
  • IIHS Death Rates

We rank each state from one to 51 in each category (includes the District of Columbia). The lowest score represents the state with the safest highways and the highest represents the state with the most dangerous highways for that category.

You can review all of the data here.

Alabama

#14 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#40 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#17 – Safest Highways by State

Alaska

#22 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#12 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#47 – Safest Highways by State

Arizona

#13 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#46 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#2 – Safest Highways by State

Arkansas

#8 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#31 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#17 – Safest Highways by State

California

#26 (tied) – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#29 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#25 – Safest Highways by State

Colorado

#31 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#34 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#14 – Safest Highways by State

Connecticut

#42 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#22 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#23 – Safest Highways by State

Delaware

#12 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#43 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#45 – Safest Highways by State

Florida

#10 (tied) – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#20 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#10 – Safest Highways by State

Georgia

#24 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#14 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#39 – Safest Highways by State

Hawaii

#26 (tied) – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#44 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#27 – Safest Highways by State

Idaho

#29 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#25 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#20 – Safest Highways by State

Illinois

#38 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#29 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#36 – Safest Highways by State

Indiana

#25 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#19 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#37 – Safest Highways by State

Iowa

#34 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#4 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#50 – Safest Highways by State

Kansas

#21 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#18 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#27 – Safest Highways by State

Kentucky

#17 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#21 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#16 – Safest Highways by State

Louisiana

#4 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#47 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#1 – Safest Highways by State

Maine

#36 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#25 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#42 – Safest Highways by State

Maryland

#41 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#18 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#34 – Safest Highways by State

Massachusetts

#50 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#10 (tied) – Best Drivers in the US by State
#7 – Safest Highways by State

Michigan

#32 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#10 (tied) – Best Drivers in the US by State
#29 – Safest Highways by State

Minnesota

#47 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#1 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#51 – Safest Highways by State

Mississippi

#5 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#42 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#13 – Safest Highways by State

Missouri

#28 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#35 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#21 – Safest Highways by State

Montana

#6 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#51 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#11 – Safest Highways by State

Nebraska

#35 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#5 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#47 – Safest Highways by State

Nevada

#16 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#41 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#43 – Safest Highways by State

New Hampshire

#43 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#31 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#9 – Safest Highways by State

New Jersey

#45 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#7 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#30 – Safest Highways by State

New Mexico

#1 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#49 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#34 – Safest Highways by State

New York

#40 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#22 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#33 – Safest Highways by State

North Carolina

#18 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#27 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#6 – Safest Highways by State

North Dakota

#9 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#44 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#44 – Safest Highways by State

Ohio

#28 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#2 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#21 – Safest Highways by State

Oklahoma

#15 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#38 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#15 – Safest Highways by State

Oregon

#33 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#13 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#49 – Safest Highways by State

Pennsylvania

#30 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#35 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#4 – Safest Highways by State

Rhode Island

#49 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#33 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#38 – Safest Highways by State

South Carolina

#2 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#49 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#3 – Safest Highways by State

South Dakota

#10 (tied) – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#37 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#30 – Safest Highways by State

Tennessee

#22 (tied) – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#27 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#26 – Safest Highways by State

Texas

#7 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#48 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#11 – Safest Highways by State

Utah

#22 (tied) – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#9 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#23 – Safest Highways by State

Vermont

#51 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#3 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#41 – Safest Highways by State

Virginia

#37 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#6 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#17 – Safest Highways by State

Washington

#46 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#8 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#40 – Safest Highways by State

Washington D.C.

#48 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#15 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#32 – Safest Highways by State

West Virginia

#19 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#38 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#5 – Safest Highways by State

Wisconsin

#44 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#22 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#46 – Safest Highways by State

Wyoming

#3 – Worst States for Traffic-Related Fatalities
#16 – Best Drivers in the US by State
#8 – Safest Highways by State