Thursday, June 25, 2020

States and counties with the highest share of speeding-related fatalities are ranked; local data are available

A new report shows which states and counties have the most speeding-related fatalities as a share of overall vehicle fatalities. Several largely rural states, including Alaska and Vermont, made the top 15 list, with New Hampshire in the top spot. All 50 states and 593 counties were ranked. Most of the top 30 counties were metropolitan, but many rural counties were on the list of those with the highest proportions of speed-related fatalities.

To create the report for the Governor's Highway Safety Administration, researchers at car-shopping app CoPilot analyzed state and county data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Census Bureau, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2014-18.

Speeding-related fatalities were associated with a number of factors, including alcohol consumption, age, seat-belt usage, driving conditions, and road maintenance. A 2019 GHSA report found that curvy roads, more common in rural areas, are frequently a factor in speeding-related crashes, and that a higher percentage of fatal curve-related crashes happen on rural roads.

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