Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was analyzed over the last five years and published in a report by Esurance insurance company.
Despite recent progress in safety, fatal crashes nationwide are 13% higher than they were five years ago— but each state has a different story, the company stated.
Here’s where California stands:
•Fatal car crashes took 3,594 lives in California in 2017—that’s nearly a 16% increase since 2013
•Speed was the No. 1 cause of California traffic fatalities (29.8%) when compared to driving under the influence (23.6%), drug-related crashes (6.5%) and distracted driving (4.4%)
•California saw declines in the percentage of fatalities involving speeding, alcohol, and distracted driving and a slight increase in drug-related crash fatalities
The study shows that although folks may say that heavily populated urban states, such as California and New York, may have the most traffic fatalities, it is rural states that hold that record.
According to the report, Mississippi, Wyoming and South Carolina were the top three states that had the most traffic fatalities in 2017.
Sporadic law enforcement patrols, uneven roads and high speed limits are listed in the report as potential factors for high traffic fatalities in those states.
The full report can be accessed on Esurance’s website at esurance.com/insights/dangerous-driving-study.
