Driving or riding in a motorized vehicle is like playing “Accident Roulette.” Sooner or later your number is going to come up!
Danger Lurks
Across all cities in the United States, during their lifetime, 12.4% of drivers will have a no-fault accident at least once.
What City in the U.S. Has the Most Car Accidents?
In order to figure this out we looked at data on insurance rates rather than uniformed police accident reports. It was just easier to access insurance information. And frankly we deal a lot more with insurance companies, whether when conducting common business or trying to resolve adversarial issues on behalf of clients. We did not filter or categorize the results by the size of metropolitan areas. Instead, we took things as one big conglomerate of all American drivers. The results are quite interesting.
Drumroll please! The metro area with the worst drivers per capita is Johns Island, South Carolina! Basically, a suburb of Charleston, South Carolina. But here’s a cautionary flag. If you break the U.S. into 4 regions: West, Midwest, Northeast, and South; the western region ranks highest or worse with its drivers having a 12.75% accident rate. The South and Northeast are in the middle, and the Midwest is lowest with 11.18%. What’s the Midwest? Think Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, Missouri, and the Dakotas. While there are some large cities in these states, they pale by comparison to both coasts and Texas. Additionally, while they don’t enjoy wide open and desolate spaces like Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona, they do tend to be more rural and have quite a bit of farm country. Are farmers better drivers than city folk? Well, take a look at Lincoln, Nebraska, which shows up in the worst Top 20 cities for vehicle accidents. A relatively small town of 250,000 people, this state capital is surrounded by seas of corn and soybeans and a thriving poultry processing industry.
Being as we’re in Nevada, you’ll be happy to know California has 3 urban areas in the worst Top 20. Like, we knew that!
Now in truth, the average cost of vehicles owned and driven in metro areas skews these statistics and rankings because, again, they are based upon insurance rates. It costs more to insure upscale vehicles. Not a big deal, but something to weigh and consider when you’re thinking about this.
What States Have the Highest Number of Vehicular Deaths?
Let’s look at Accident Roulette another way; by deaths per state. Obviously, the total population, number of drivers, and the relative safety of roadways and conditions are factors. Accordingly, the state with the most vehicular deaths in 2020 was Texas (3,642), followed by California (3,563) and Florida (3,133).
The safest states were Rhode Island (59) Vermont (68) and Alaska (80). For comparative purposes please know Nevada had 330* deaths. All death rates in 2020 were relatively low compared to recent years; attributed to lower driving rates because of lockdowns during the covid pandemic.
Why Las Vegas Is Different When Looking at Accidents
When it comes to vehicular accidents and deaths, Las Vegas commands some interesting variables. We know McCarran International Airport sees 50,000,000 visitors from foreign and domestic carriers. While many travel via limos, cabs, and rideshare, a significant number of them rent cars. What that means to you and I is that there are tons of out of town drivers with a worldwide variety of skills, recognition of signage, roadways, and so on. Or more significantly, a lack of skills and recognition of signage and roadways!
Think about it, some of these folks are used to driving on the other side of the road! They come in here, get submersed in the clutter, confusion, and glitz, have accidents, and then go home to file insurance claims. Because of this out-of-town process and confusion, you think some of the statistics are warped and misreported by some sources? You bet!
The intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Maryland Parkway is a hub of activity. These two streets are high volume corridors that run traffic east to west and north to south. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and a variety of businesses are nearby.
This convergence of students, faculty, visitors, and a very sizable group of homeless people all centered in a major commercial area of town on busy streets creates a chaotic and dynamic mix of pedestrians and vehicles that lead to more accidents.
One of the contributing factors to the dangers at this intersection is the enormous number of vehicles that turn here, especially during peak hours. Pedestrians need to exercise caution and make eye contact with drivers before crossing, ensuring that they are seen and that it is safe to go ahead.
Get Legal Help for Vehicle Accidents
Vehicular accidents are inevitable. And statistically, one out of five of us will be involved in one during our driving lifetime. When it happens to you, remember the Paul Powell Law Firm. Your first choice for a personal injury attorney in Las Vegas. Paul has been representing area residents for over 20 years. He’s well known, highly experienced, heavily staffed, and very prepared to protect you and your loved ones. And when your case reaches a decision or a settlement, Paul never takes more from you than you get and he puts that in writing. Paul Powell. More Lawyer. Less Fee.
*Local TV Station KNTV-ABC reported 314 deaths for this same year.