New Jersey residents may be interested to learn that the Northeast is a relatively safe area of the country to drive in. According to a study on traffic fatality rates, the two safest states to drive in are Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The most dangerous state to drive in is Wyoming, where there are 25.7 traffic fatalities for every 100,000 people.
Researchers from 24/7 Wall St. conducted their study by reviewing car accident fatality data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Federal Highway Administration. All of the data was from 2014, and it was adjusted for the population size of each state. Researchers found that Wyoming had the highest number of car accident fatalities adjusted for population, and the nine other most dangerous states were Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Alabama, South Dakota and Louisiana.
Drunk driving and seat belt use were some of the factors that affected traffic fatality rates in 2014, according to researchers. Seven of the top-10 most dangerous states had a seat belt usage rate that fell below the national average. The types of roads that drivers travel on also plays a significant role in traffic fatality rates. Fatal accidents are more likely to occur in rural areas even though people travel on rural roads less frequently.
Car accidents are often caused by one driver’s reckless actions, and car accident victims have the right to sue the at-fault driver for compensation. An attorney may be able to assist a car accidentvictim with a personal injury claim by determining who was at fault for the wreck and gathering evidence of the victim’s monetary damages.