Montana tops list of 10 deadliest states for motorists

Updated Oct 9, 2015

rural highway

Forbes has a new list out of the top 10 deadliest states in America for drivers, and Montana’s 80 mph speed limits and rural roads pushed it to the top spot. Washington, D.C., was named the safest place to drive.

The Forbes list is based on a study from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute that found the states with the most traffic deaths per capita are those with the most rural roads.

Compounding these troublesome wide-open spaces, is the tendency for many of the more rural states to have higher speed limits—such as the 80 mph limit on some Montana highways. States where there aren’t as many rural roads had fewer fatalities.

“Speed is likely to be among the most important causative factors,” University of Michigan researcher Michael Sivak said.

Sivak also noted that other major contributing factors included alcohol consumption, the age of drivers, driver aggression, as well as miles driven – the five states with the highest highway death rates drove an average of 5,000 miles more than the five states with the lowest.

The top states with the highest highway death rate are below:

  1. Montana: 22.6 deaths per 100,000 population; 96% rural roads; max speed limit 80 mph.
  2. Mississippi: 20.5 deaths per 100,000 population; 85% rural roads; max speed limit 70 mph.
  3. North Dakota: 20.5 deaths per 100,000 population; 98% rural roads; max speed limit 75 mph.
  4. West Virginia: 17.9 deaths per 100,000 population; 86% rural roads; max speed limit 70 mph.
  5. Alabama: 17.6 deaths per 100,000 population; 78% rural roads; max speed limit 70 mph.
  6. Oklahoma: 17.6 deaths per 100,000 population; 84% rural roads; max speed limit 75 mph.
  7. Arkansas: 16.3 deaths per 100,000 population; 85% rural roads; max speed limit 70 mph.
  8. South Carolina: 16.1 deaths per 100,000 population; 75% rural roads; max speed limit 70 mph.
  9. South Dakota: 16.0 deaths per 100,000 population; 96% rural roads; max speed limit 80 mph.
  10. Tennessee: 15.3 deaths per 100,000 population; 75% rural roads; max speed limit 70 mph.

The following are the states (including D.C.) with the lowest highway death rate:

  1. District of Columbia: 3.1 deaths per 100,000 population; 0% rural roads; max speed limit 55 mph.
  2. Massachusetts: 4.9 deaths per 100,000 population; 22% rural roads; max speed limit 65 mph.
  3. New Jersey: 6.1 deaths per 100,000 population; 19% rural roads; max speed limit 65 mph.
  4. New York: 6.1 deaths per 100,000 population; 58% rural roads (though 88% of residents live in urban areas); max speed limit 65 mph.
  5. Rhode Island: 6.2 deaths per 100,000 population; 19% rural roads; max speed limit 65 mph.
  6. Washington: 6.3 deaths per 100,000 population; 72% rural roads (though 84% of residents live in urban areas); max speed limit 70 mph.
  7. Alaska: 6.9 deaths per 100,000 population; 78% rural roads; max speed limit 55 mph.
  8. Minnesota: 7.1 deaths per 100,000 population; 85% rural roads; max speed limit 70 mph.
  9. Hawaii: 7.3 deaths per 100,000 population; 47% rural roads (though 92% of residents live in urban areas); max speed limit 60 mph.
  10. Utah: 7.6 deaths per 100,000 population; 75% rural roads; max spe ed limit 75 mph.