A new study has found that South Carolina is the second most dangerous state to drive in. Mississippi is the most dangerous US state to drive in.
Research conducted by personal injury lawyers We Win analyzed the number of deaths per 100,000 people and the number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2020. An index score out of 10 was given to each state in order to determine a ranking of the most dangerous states to drive in the US – the lower the score, the more dangerous the state.
| Rank | State | Index score out of 10 |
| 1 | Mississippi | 2.62 |
| 2 | South Carolina | 2.78 |
| 3 | Arkansas | 2.83 |
| 4 | Montana | 3.04 |
| 5 | New Mexico | 3.18 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 3.22 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 3.29 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 3.37 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 3.52 |
| 10 | Wyoming | 3.54 |
Taking the title of the most dangerous state to drive in is Mississippi. The state has the highest number of deaths per 100,000 people, 25.4 to be precise – and this combined with 1.90 deaths per 100,000 million vehicles traveled gave Mississippi the lowest score of them all.
In second place on the list is South Carolina, experiencing 20.7 deaths for every 100,000 people along with the highest number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles at 1.97.
Arkansas takes the third spot in the rankings – the state saw 638 deaths due to driving in 2020, making that 21.2 per 100,000 people.
The fourth state on the list is Montana, with 19.6 deaths for every 100,000 people and 1.76 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
Montana is closely followed by New Mexico in the fifth spot, having experienced 18.8 deaths per 100,000 people, as well as 1.68 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
Louisiana comes in sixth place in the rankings, although the states’ number of deaths per 100 million miles traveled placed fifth overall at 1.71.
In seventh place is Kentucky, another southern state to add to the list, witnessing 780 driving related deaths in 2020 – making that 17.3 per 100,000 people.
Tennessee takes the eighth position; the state experienced a combination of 17.6 deaths for every 100,000 people and 1.59 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
Oklahoma ranks in ninth, with 16.5 deaths per 100,000 people and 1.55 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
Tenth on the list of the most dangerous states to drive in is Wyoming. Despite being in the tenth spot, the state came in second for the most deaths per 100,000 people at an astonishing amount of 22.
On the opposite end of the scale, Massachusetts is the safest state to drive in with the lowest number of deaths per 100,000 people and for every 100 million vehicle miles driven.
A spokesperson from We Win has commented on the findings: “The factors affecting the safety of driving in these states is unclear – but one thing that is particularly fascinating is that over half of the states on the list are located in the South, including Mississippi which places top of the list.
“The total of deaths caused by road traffic accidents in 2020 was 38,824, highlighting the very real threat to our safety. For this reason, it’s vital to have the best legal representation possible in case of an accident, even if it only causes a minor injury, to ensure obtaining financial compensation is possible.”
The research was conducted by We Win, a personal injury law firm focused on helping individuals who have suffered devastating injuries and pain caused by car accidents, truck accidents, and other personal injury incidents.