These 25 states have seen the biggest increase in fatal auto collisions in the US

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. experienced an unprecedented increase in fatal traffic collisions. According to , fatal crashes increased by nearly 17% during the first two years of the pandemic, among the largest two-year increase in history. This sharp rise was punctuated by the deadliest year since 1990, with 39,508 fatal collisions in 2021 alone.听听

While show that the fatal collisions and roadway deaths have leveled off, they have yet to return to prepandemic levels and remain at historic highs.听

examined three years of fatal collision data from the NHTSA (2019 - 2021) to find out which states experienced the biggest changes and, ultimately, where motorists may be at increased risk of being killed in a crash.

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What Drove the Increase in Fatal Car Collisions?

According to the , during the COVID-19 pandemic years, more drivers may have engaged in riskier behavior such as failure to wear seat belts, speeding, and driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. NHTSA data seems to agree with that position. Notably, collisions involving commercial trucks, pedestrians, speed, and alcohol increased sharply between 2019 and 2021.听听

However, just as the impact of the pandemic was felt differently from region to region, so too was its effect on traffic safety.

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Deadly Car Crashes Increased the Most in These 25 States

During the observation period, fatal crashes increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia.听 Of these 25 that had increases greater than the national average of 18%, D.C. led by an increase of 82%, followed by Vermont (57%) and South Dakota (49%).

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Only Six States Saw a Drop in Car Fatalities

As previously mentioned, only six states experienced a decrease in fatal crashes during this time period. Wyoming led the way with a 15% decrease from 2019, followed by Nebraska (9% decrease), Hawaii (8% decrease), North Dakota (7% decrease), Maine (6% decrease), and Alaska (5% decrease).

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Comparing Crash Increases for Every State

How does your state measure up?听 Below, we provide data for every U.S. state and the District of Columbia.听听
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1. District of Columbia听听

82% increase听 / +18 crashes听

2019 -听 22 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 40 fatal crashes

2. Vermont听

57% increase听 / +25 crashes听

2019 -听 44 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 69 fatal crashes

3. South Dakota听

49% increase听 / +43 crashes听

2019 -听 88 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 131 fatal crashes

4. Arkansas听

35% increase听 / +164 crashes听

2019 -听 467 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 631 fatal crashes

5. Minnesota听

35% increase听 / +118 crashes听

2019 -听 333 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 451 fatal crashes

6. Montana听

34% increase / +56 crashes听

2019 -听 166 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 222 fatal crashes

7. Louisiana听

30% increase / +206 crashes听

2019 -听 681 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 887 fatal crashes

8. Utah听

30% increase / +68 crashes听

2019 -听 225 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 293 fatal crashes

9. Illinois听

29% increase / +272 crashes听

2019 -听 938 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1210 fatal crashes

10. New Jersey听

27% increase / +144 crashes听

2019 -听 525 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 669 fatal crashes

11. Nevada听

26% increase / +75 crashes听

2019 -听 285 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 360 fatal crashes

12. New York听

25% increase / +223 crashes听

2019 -听 876 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1,099 fatal crashes

13. Massachusetts听

24% increase / +76 crashes听

2019 -听 321 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 397 fatal crashes

14. Texas听

23% increase / +774 crashes听

2019 -听 3,294 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 4,068 fatal crashes

15. Washington听

22% increase / +109 crashes听

2019 -听 494 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 603 fatal crashes

16. Oregon听

22% increase / +101 crashes听

2019 -听 451 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 552 fatal crashes

17. Georgia听

21% increase / +293 crashes听

2019 -听 1,377 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1,670 fatal crashes

18. South Carolina听

21% increase / +190 crashes听

2019 -听 922 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1112 fatal crashes

19. Connecticut听

21% increase / +50 crashes听

2019 -听 233 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 283 fatal crashes

20. Idaho听

21% increase / +43 crashes听

2019 -听 201 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 244 fatal crashes

21. California听

20% increase / +667 crashes听

2019 -听 3,316 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 3,983 fatal crashes

22. North Carolina听

20% increase / +251 crashes听

2019 -听 1,284 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1,535 fatal crashes

23. Ohio听

20% increase / +203 crashes听

2019 -听 1,039 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1,242 fatal crashes

24. Mississippi听

20% increase / +116 crashes听

2019 -听 581 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 697 fatal crashes

25. Michigan听

19% increase / +170 crashes听

2019 -听 902 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1,072 fatal crashes

26. Tennessee听

18% increase / +189 crashes听

2019 -听 1,040 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1,229 fatal crashes

27. New Hampshire听

18% increase / +16 crashes听

2019 -听 90 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 106 fatal crashes

28. Florida听

17% increase / +501 crashes听

2019 -听 2,950 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 3,451 fatal crashes

29. Arizona听

17% increase / +153 crashes听

2019 -听 910 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1,063 fatal crashes

30. Virginia听

17% increase / +132 crashes听

2019 -听 774 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 906 fatal crashes

31. Oklahoma听

17% increase / +97 crashes听

2019 -听 584 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 681 fatal crashes

32. Colorado听

17% increase / +94 crashes听

2019 -听 544 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 638 fatal crashes

33. Pennsylvania听

16% increase / +163 crashes听

2019 -听 990 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 1,153 fatal crashes

34. New Mexico听

16% increase / +59 crashes听

2019 -听 368 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 427 fatal crashes

35. Indiana听

15% increase / +112 crashes听

2019 -听 751 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 863 fatal crashes

36. Rhode Island听

15% increase / +8 crashes听

2019 -听 53 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 61 fatal crashes

37. Missouri听

14% increase / +113 crashes听

2019 -听 818 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 931 fatal crashes

38. Kentucky听

10% increase / +67 crashes听

2019 -听 667 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 734 fatal crashes

39. Wisconsin听

9% increase / +46 crashes听

2019 -听 526 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 572 fatal crashes

40. Maryland听

8% increase / +38 crashes听

2019 -听 484 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 522 fatal crashes

41. Delaware听

8% increase / +10 crashes听

2019 -听 122 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 132 fatal crashes

42. Kansas听

5% increase / +19 crashes听

2019 -听 362 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 381 fatal crashes

43. Iowa听

5% increase / +16 crashes听

2019 -听 313 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 329 fatal crashes

44. West Virginia听

4% increase / +10 crashes听

2019 -听 247 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 257 fatal crashes

45. Alabama听

3% increase / +29 crashes听

2019 -听 856 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 885 fatal crashes

46. Alaska听

-5% decrease / -5 crashes听

2019 -听 62 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 59 fatal crashes

47. Maine听

-6% decrease / -6 crashes听

2019 -听 143 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 135 fatal crashes

48. North Dakota听

-7% decrease / -7 crashes听

2019 -听 91 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 85 fatal crashes

49. Hawaii听

-8% decrease / -8 crashes听

2019 -听 102 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 94 fatal crashes

50. Nebraska听

-9% decrease / -9 crashes听

2019 -听 212 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 192 fatal crashes

51. Wyoming听

-15% decrease / -15 crashes听

2019 -听 120 fatal crashes听
2021 -听 102 fatal crashes
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How to Use This Information

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg considers the situation on U.S. roadways to be a national crisis and that the Department of Transportation is working to strengthen transportation safety throughout the country.听

"Through our National Roadway Safety Strategy, we're strengthening traffic safety across the country, and working toward a day when these preventable tragedies are a thing of the past," Buttigieg said.

However, there are several steps that motorists can take to increase their own traffic safety and avoid a potentially deadly car accident.听听

Always wear your safety belt (or wear a helmet while operating a motorcycle or bicycle)
Avoid driving after using drugs or alcohol
Don't text and drive听
Follow speed limits and other traffic control and safety signals
Be aware of your surroundings and other road motorists
Watch out for pedestrians
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Data & Methodology

This publication is based on an analysis of Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.听 Rankings are based on the percentage of increase in fatal collisions during the observation period.听
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