This U.S. State Has the Most Reckless Drivers

The official start of summer is just a few days away, which means the road trip season is also about to begin. And while you may have your route plotted out, your tune-up scheduled, and your oil is already changed, there’s one more thing you need to consider — road safety. The experts at Stone Injury Lawyers have created a new list of the states where drivers exhibit the most reckless behavior so you can be fully prepared for the road ahead. 

To figure out which states present the highest risks, the team scored each state based on their performance across five safety factors, including the number of fatal motor vehicle crashes, the incurred losses in property and casualty insurance, the total Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties for cases over $40,000, the number of hospital emergency room visits per 1,000 residents, and the number of accidental deaths.

After looking at all the data, the lawyers named North Dakota the state with the most reckless behavior. 

“North Dakota takes the lead with the most relaxed safety standards, scoring 67.64 on the recklessness scale,” the company shared in the results. “However, the state experiences a concerning number of fatal motor vehicle crashes, with 59.1 incidents per 100k of the population.” 

It added that property and casualty insurance losses come in at $332,790.85 per 100,000 residents, “indicating significant financial burdens resulting from these incidents. Furthermore, North Dakota has substantial OSHA penalties, totaling $1,384,822 per 100,000 residents.” 

Right behind is West Virginia in the No. 2 spot, with a reckless score of 67.03.

“The state grapples with substantial property/casualty insurance losses, amounting to $105,574.13 per 100,000 population, highlighting the financial toll of safety negligence,” the findings added, additionally noting that the state also has a high number of fatal crashes, with 71.6 incidents reported per 100,000 residents. 

Rounding out the top five were Louisiana in third with a score of 64.33, followed by Mississippi with a score of 63.56, and New Mexico rounding out the top five with a recklessness score of 60.57. 

On the flip side, Utah ranked as the least reckless, with a score of 18.66, along with Hawaii and Maryland as the most safety-conscious states. But really, the only thing you can do is worry about yourself, stay alert, and be prepared by reading up on everything you need to know to plan the perfect road trip.