25 Worst States for Distracted Driving in 2022
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Driving in America means sharing the road with distracted drivers — or being distracted yourself. Talking on the phone, checking your directions or even daydreaming can steal your focus and put you at risk of an accident.
Distracted driving isn’t just dangerous; it’s expensive. Finding affordable car insurance after an accident can be difficult and may mean paying up to $400 more per year for coverage.
Despite laws to prevent distracted driving in virtually every state, fatality rates rose 12% from 2019 to 2020. MoneyGeek analyzed the number of distracted driving deaths in each state and ranked states based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to find the worst states in the U.S. for distracted driving.
MoneyGeek ranked the 25 worst states for distracted driving from least dangerous to most dangerous below.
- 25. Maine
- 0.82Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 23Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 27,9572019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 24. Vermont
- 0.82Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 11Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 13,3532019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 23. Tennessee
- 0.85Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 135Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 159,2842019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 22. Colorado
- 0.85Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 88Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 103,2762019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 21. North Dakota
- 0.86Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 16Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 18,5942019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 20. Alaska
- 0.89Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 10Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 11,1872019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 19. Missouri
- 0.91Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 139Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 151,9652019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 18. North Carolina
- 0.92Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 210Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 228,8172019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 17. New York
- 0.98Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 223Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 226,4632019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 16. Montana
- 1.04Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 26Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 24,9962019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 15. Arizona
- 1.12Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 152Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 136,0392019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 14. Florida
- 1.18Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 514Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 434,5902019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 13. Texas
- 1.21Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 665Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 548,8092019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 12. Oklahoma
- 1.21Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 105Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 86,6482019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 11. Virginia
- 1.22Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 197Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 161,5422019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 10. Idaho
- 1.38Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 49Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 35,4642019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 9. New Jersey
- 1.54Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 223Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 144,5462019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 8. Illinois
- 1.60Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 322Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 201,6462019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 7. Wyoming
- 1.60Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 32Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 20,0082019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 6. Washington
- 1.69Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 196Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 116,1882019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 5. Hawaii
- 1.97Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 39Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 19,8092019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 4. Kentucky
- 2.0Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 195Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 95,9462019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 3. Kansas
- 2.4Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 146Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 59,6972019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 2. Louisiana
- 2.6Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 262Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 99,7342019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
- 1. New Mexico
- 5.4Distracted Driving Fatality Rate
- 276Distracted Driving Deaths 2019-2020
- 51,5282019-20 Miles Driven (Millions)
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