Most Car Accidents By State: How does your state rank?
Depending on where your state ranks in the list of car accidents by state, your chances of getting into a collision may be greater. With 3,606 car accidents a year, California has more accidents than any other state, while Vermont has the lowest number at 44. While population plays a role as well, high accident rates in your state can increase car insurance costs.
Free Auto Insurance Comparison
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Daniel Walker
Licensed Insurance Agent
Daniel Walker graduated with a BS in Administrative Management in 2005 and has run his family’s insurance agency, FCI Agency, for over 15 years (BBB A+). He is licensed as an insurance agent to write property and casualty insurance, including home, life, auto, umbrella, and dwelling fire insurance. He’s also been featured on sites like Reviews.com and Safeco. To ensure our content is accura...
Licensed Insurance Agent
UPDATED: Mar 31, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance providers please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.
UPDATED: Mar 31, 2022
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right coverage choices.
Advertiser Disclosure: We strive to help you make confident insurance decisions. Comparison shopping should be easy. We are not affiliated with any one insurance provider and cannot guarantee quotes from any single provider.
Our insurance industry partnerships don’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own. To compare quotes from many different insurance providers please enter your ZIP code above to use the free quote tool. The more quotes you compare, the more chances to save.
On This Page
- The state of California has the highest car accident rate in the country
- Vermont is the second least-populated state in the U.S. and it has the lowest amount of car accidents in the country
- The three Ds – driving while under the influence, driving above the speed limit, and distracted driving are the main culprits of accident fatalities in all areas
Every five seconds, a car accident in the United States occurs, and seeing a list of car accidents by state may make you realize just how common it is where you live.
Unfortunately, car accident rates. can negatively impact your car insurance rate. You may be wondering how long car accidents affect your insurance and how the total number of accidents in your state impacts rates.
While the amount of car accidents you’ve had may impact your insurance rates only temporarily, your state’s total amount of annual car accidents could have a more long-term effect.
We’ve gathered the data to create a list of car accidents by state, so you can see where your state ranks. It may help explain why your friend in another state pays insurance rates that are vastly different from your own.
After viewing a list of car accidents by state, you may want to explore your insurance options. Enter your ZIP code and get a free auto insurance quote today.
Which state has the highest car accident rate?
With a total of 3,606 car crashes, the state of California has the highest car accident rate in the country. When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a list of car accidents by county, it revealed the top five most affected regions in California.
1. Sacramento – With a population of 525,398, recent data shows that Sacramento county has reported as many as 169 accidents in one year.
2. San Diego – This region in California has over 1.39 million residents and has been one of the areas in California with the most car accidents with a total of 248 accidents in one year.
3. Riverside – This area is the most populous in California with 334,772 residents. It is also the 11th largest city in California and it has been most impacted by car accidents with a total of 277 reported in a year.
4. San Bernardino – San Bernardino is the largest county in the world and with a population of 214,706, it is no surprise that the area has experienced a total of 319 accidents in a year.
5. Los Angeles – With a population of 3.9 million residents, Los Angeles is the most populous county in the nation. With a crash total of 685, it also has the highest crash amount in the state.
State Car Accidents in 2019 Car Accidents in 2018
Alabama 856 953
Alaska 62 80
Arizona 910 1011
Arkansas 467 520
California 3,316 3,798
Colorado 544 632
Connecticut 233 293
Delaware 122 111
Florida 2,950 3,135
Georgia 1,377 1,505
Hawaii 102 117
Idaho 201 234
Illinois 938 1,035
Indiana 751 860
Iowa 313 319
Kansas 362 405
Kentucky 667 724
Louisiana 681 771
Maine 143 136
Maryland 484 512
Massachusetts 321 355
Michigan 902 977
Minnesota 333 381
Mississippi 581 663
Missouri 818 921
Montana 166 181
Nebraska 212 230
Nevada 285 329
New Hampshire 90 147
New Jersey 525 563
New Mexico 368 392
New York 876 964
North Carolina 1,284 1,436
North Dakota 91 105
Ohio 1,039 1,068
Oklahoma 584 655
Oregon 451 502
Pennsylvania 990 1,190
Rhode Island 53 59
South Carolina 922 1,036
South Dakota 88 130
Tennessee 1,040 1,040
Texas 3,294 3,648
Utah 225 260
Vermont 44 68
Virginia 774 820
Washington 494 539
West Virginia 247 294
Wisconsin 526 589
Wyoming 120 111
A list of car accidents by state and year shows us that the experience of all U.S. drivers isn’t created equal. In fact, even though the numbers have somewhat decreased since the year prior, some states are still more dangerous to drive in than others.
Compare Insurance Providers Rates to Save Up to 75%
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Why is the car accident rate so high?
California is the most populous state in the United States of America. It also accounts for 11 percent of the country’s automobile deaths. While cities like Sacramento are known for having an abundance of hills, the Hollywood Hills is known for its narrow driving areas, and parts of town like Los Angeles have developed a reputation for its highly congested roads.
These are just some of several factors that play into what makes traveling on the road so challenging for California drivers.
Traffic Fatalities by State
According to OSHA’s Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes, car accidents are the leading cause of death and injury for all ages. In just half a year, more than 20,000 people have died on the roads in the United States. Unfortunately, the car accident fatality rate in California isn’t the only one that is rising. In South Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana, traffic fatalities are also on the rise and it is due to a number of reasons, such as:
- Drunk driving – Every state has a legal blood alcohol level and if you are driving and have proven to have exceeded this level, you are legally driving under the influence.
- Driving dangerously above the speed limit – Every street has a speed limit that must be abided by and drivers who are caught exceeding this level are speeding.
- Distracted driving – Texting and driving or partaking in another activity that may take your eyes off of the road is dangerous.
When World Population Review released a list of traffic fatalities by state, it provided a better perspective on just how serious traffic fatalities can truly be. According to the list, the 10 cities below have the highest traffic fatalities in the country.
- Texas – 3,305
- California – 3,259
- Florida – 2,915
- Georgia – 1,407
- North Carolina – 1,321
- Pennsylvania – 1,103
- Ohio – 996
- Tennessee – 974
- South Carolina – 970
- Illinois – 948
Did your state make the list? If so, you may want to see what options are available to lower your insurance rate.
Which state has the lowest car accident rate?
Vermont is the second least-populated state in the country. So it is no surprise to learn that this state’s car accident rate only rose up to around 44, the least amount of car accidents in the country.
Vermont has very few drivers on the road and unlike Los Angeles, it also has very little traffic. But due to its status of having the highest run-off-the-road rate in the country, even driving in a safe state like Vermont can be considered dangerous.
In fact, while many Vermont drivers don’t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic, they do, however, have a growing percentage of irresponsible drivers on the road that may cause an accident from being under the influence or driving while distracted.
Where does your state rank in the list of car accidents by state?
After reviewing the list of car accidents by state, how does your state rank? Have you been in a car accident and aren’t sure if you can get car insurance for a bad driving record? Or are you frustrated with car insurance rates even though you’re a good driver?
You’re not alone. Depending on the state you live in, the amount of car accidents in your state may already be impacting your insurance rate in ways you are not aware of.
After seeing a list of auto accidents by state, are you inspired to shop around for auto insurance rates? Enter your ZIP code and receive a quote.
Compare Insurance Providers Rates to Save Up to 75%
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Daniel Walker
Licensed Insurance Agent
Daniel Walker graduated with a BS in Administrative Management in 2005 and has run his family’s insurance agency, FCI Agency, for over 15 years (BBB A+). He is licensed as an insurance agent to write property and casualty insurance, including home, life, auto, umbrella, and dwelling fire insurance. He’s also been featured on sites like Reviews.com and Safeco. To ensure our content is accura...
Licensed Insurance Agent
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about auto insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything auto insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by auto insurance experts.