Surprise, Surprise: Study Ranks Alabama as the Most Dangerous for Drivers
If you've ever had the extreme misfortune of driving on Interstate 20/59 on a gameday weekend, this should come as no surprise to you: a recent study has ranked Alabama as the most dangerous state for drivers.
The staff of Edward Kirby Attorneys at Law examined all 50 states in an effort to see which ones posed the greatest risk for drivers. Here's a look at the methodology:
"To determine the most dangerous U.S. states for drivers, we collected data for the following risk factors associated with motor vehicle accidents and fatalities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each factor was weighted based on its contribution to a state’s overall levels of risk and road safety. States could earn a total of 50 points, where states with higher scores are considered more dangerous, and states with lower scores are considered less dangerous."
These metrics were used to compare each state's safety rates:
- number of drivers
- the number of licensed teen drivers per capita
- number of motor vehicle fatalities
- number of serious motor vehicle accidents
- number of DUIs
- average daily traffic per lane
- average annual precipitation
- highest posted speed limit greater than/equal to 70 miles an hour
- statewide texting-while-driving ban
When all the tallies were totaled, Alabama was ranked as the most dangerous state for drivers. The crew at Edward Kirby Attorneys at law had this to say about Bama:
"Out of a possible score of 50 points, Alabama ranked first as the most dangerous state for drivers with 41.3 points. While high rates of DUIs and serious motor vehicle injuries certainly contributed to Alabama’s ranking, perhaps the most crucial factor was the number of young Alabamians on the road. With almost 4,500 drivers between the ages of 16 and 19, for whom the risk of a fatal crash is higher than any other age group, the Yellowhammer State is likely to see higher rates of accidents and fatalities than states with older drivers."
The study ranked Washington, D.C., New York, and Hawaii as the safest for drivers. Read the full results HERE.