States Where Car Deaths Are Increasing the Most

By Grant Suneson Published Aug 19, 6:00PM EDT

Follow 24/7 Wall St. on Google

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

States Where Car Deaths Are Increasing the Most — © red7255 / iStock via Getty Images

An estimated 9,560 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in the first three months of 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is the highest first quarter total of any year since 2002. This is a continuation of a worrying trend, as fatal auto accidents have become much more common since 2020.

The number of auto fatalities nationwide in the first quarter of 2022 was 7.0% higher than in the first quarter of 2021. While traffic fatalities declined or remained even in 21 states, the other 29 states reported significant increases in fatal car crashes – including one state where traffic fatalities more than doubled.

To determine the states where auto fatalities increased the most, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. States were ranked on the increase in auto fatalities in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2021.

According to the NHTSA, the spike in traffic deaths is part of a continuing trend that began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the fatality rate per miles traveled increased significantly after the first quarter of 2020. (Sometimes fatigue contributes to car crashes. These are places where people spend the least time getting to work.)

Certain parts of the country drove the national increase in auto fatalities much more than others. In NHTSA Region 3 (Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware, and Washington D.C.) traffic fatalities increased by 52% from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2022, by far the highest increase of any region. Region 9 (California, Arizona, and Hawaii) was the only region to report a decline in fatalities. These are the states with the worst highways.

Click here to see the states where car deaths are increasing the most.

29. Florida
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +1.0%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 988
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 998

[in-text-ad]

28. Nevada
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +1.2%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 83
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 84

[recirclink id=1108174]

26. Kansas
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +5.6%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 89
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 94

26. Texas
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +5.6%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 1,014
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 1,071

[in-text-ad-2]

25. Oregon
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +5.9%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 119
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 126

24. Georgia
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +9.5%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 420
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 460

[in-text-ad]

23. Colorado
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +9.8%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 123
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 135

[recirclink id=1117797]

22. Missouri
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +10.3%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 184
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 203

21. New Jersey
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +13.7%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 131
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 149

[in-text-ad-2]

20. Utah
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +15.6%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 64
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 74

19. New Mexico
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +18.7%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 91
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 108

[in-text-ad]

18. Indiana
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +22.3%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 175
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 214

[recirclink id=1090212]

17. Illinois
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +24.4%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 225
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 280

16. Kentucky
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +27.2%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 162
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 206

[in-text-ad-2]

15. West Virginia
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +28.3%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 53
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 68

14. Massachusetts
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +33.8%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 68
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 91

[in-text-ad]

13. Wisconsin
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +36.0%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 86
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 117

[recirclink id=1027744]

12. New York
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +37.6%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 170
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 234

11. Washington
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +38.8%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 116
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 161

[in-text-ad-2]

10. Maine
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +39.1%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 23
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 32

9. Iowa
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +43.8%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 48
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 69

[in-text-ad]

8. Maryland
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +49.1%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 110
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 164

[recirclink id=1139828]

7. North Carolina
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +51.2%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 334
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 505

6. Nebraska
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +55.6%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 45
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 70

[in-text-ad-2]

5. Hawaii
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +58.3%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 24
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 38

4. Vermont
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +66.7%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 9
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 15

[in-text-ad]

3. Virginia
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +71.8%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 170
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 292

[recirclink id=1108174]

2. Connecticut
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +73.6%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 53
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 92

1. Delaware
> Change in traffic fatalities, Q1 2021-Q1 2022: +163.2%
> Est. fatalities, Q1 2021: 19
> Proj. fatalities, Q1, 2022 50

About the Author Grant Suneson →

Grant Suneson is a senior editor at 24/7 Wall St. He was previously a digital content creator at Newsy and a reporter at NPR member station KBIA, where he contributed to their Edward R. Murrow Award-winning coverage. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism.

Grant’s work has been published and referenced in many major outlets such as MSN, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Detroit Free Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Austin American-Statesman, The Tennessean, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Indianapolis Star, The Clarion-Ledger, WSB-TV, Des Moines Register, Asbury Park Press, KMGH-TV, and many others.