Before the effects of COVID-19 came into play, one of the leading causes of death was related to fatal car accidents. The action has always been recognized as the top killer for people, especially with specific drivers behind the wheel. So far, in 2020, there has been an astonishing amount of deaths due to fatal car accidents. In some states, these numbers are closest to the number of deaths already reported in the state alone. Once we can understand the exact numbers, then we can begin to understand why these accidents are occurring more often in select areas.
Types of Fatal Accidents
As of 2019, the leading cause of death in the country was always from car accidents. No state had any exemptions from this determination, making each one dangerous for people to drive their cars. However, many states differ in what type of crashes were leading in their areas. Here are some car-related accidents that are most common in each state:
- Side-Impact
- Single-Vehicle
- Multiple-Vehicle
- Head-On
Despite this, on the other hand, there are also similar causes to these fatal car accidents occurring. Those reasons include:
- Speeding
- Intoxication
- Distracted Driving
- Auto Defects
- Bad Weather
Population
Do states that have a more significant population experience more fatal car accidents? The answer is yes, but this idea is not always the case. For example, there are five states with the largest populations in the country so far. The percentage of fatal car accident deaths that occurred so far for those states are as follows (rounded):
- California: 91%
- Texas: 91%
- Florida: 93%
- New York: 94%
- Pennsylvania: 93%
These percentages are astoundingly high, which would make others wonder if states with larger populations received the highest rate of fatal car accidents in the country. However, that is not always true. New studies have also shown that fatal car accidents can occur more in rural areas as well. These areas also include states with lower populations. To confirm that figure, here are the percentages of fatal car accidents for the top 5 regions with the lowest populations (rounded):
- Wyoming: 90%
- Vermont: 88%
- Washington D.C.: 97%
- Alaska: 86%
- North Dakota: 90%
Despite having the lowest populations in the country, the percentage of fatal car accidents in these states remains relatively smaller than those of states with more people. This figure excludes Washington, D.C., which has the most significant percentage out of all the states mentioned thus far. Nonetheless, based on the data, more of these types of car accidents occur in regions with larger populations and more urbanized cities.