NC among worst states for reckless driving deaths, study shows
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – North Carolina is ranked among the worst in the United States for reckless driving fatalities, a new study unveiled.
According to a new study from the personal finance website ValuePenguin, the state had the fifth-highest rate of reckless driving deaths in the nation. This number is three times more than the national average and 115 times higher than in South Carolina, the report shows.
Forbes report shows who the wealthiest person living in North Carolina is
Researchers analyzed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System, analyzing fatal crash data from 2018 through 2022, and compared fatalities in vehicle crashes. To identify incidents connected to reckless driving, those who conducted the study evaluated wrecks where drivers were recorded operating their vehicles in an erratic, reckless or negligent manner.
The report utilized annual vehicle miles traveled data by state from the Federal Highway Administration for 2022. Fatalities were calculated per billion miles traveled.
Nationwide, the study concluded that reckless driving was a factor in 6.4% of motor vehicle deaths from 2018 through 2022, or 12,654 fatalities in total. During this period, 2021 recorded the highest number of reckless driving fatalities with 3,075 deaths, or 7.1% of motor vehicle deaths that year.
In North Carolina, 1,372 reckless driving deaths were reported in 2018-2022, with 11.5 fatalities per billion miles traveled, according to the study.
Montana topped the rankings over the course of that same time at 22.3 deaths per billion miles traveled. Meanwhile, Colorado (19.5), West Virginia (15.3) and Alaska (15.3) followed, with North Carolina rounding out the top five.
Click here to read the full report.
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