America’s Worst Drivers (photos)

Where are the country’s deadliest drivers? The Daily Beast analyzes the statistics to figure out what states are worst when it comes to traffic safety.

Forget talking while driving, one of the most prevalent threats to safety on the road is texting. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, states should pass laws to ban the use of electronic devices while driving. But, while distracted driving accounts for 16 percent of fatalities, drunken driving is responsible for nearly double the fatal crashes every year.

To get a state-by-state picture of where the most careless, distracted, and drunk drivers reside, The Daily Beast turned to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent statistics on traffic fatalities. States were considered based on the number of fatalities per miles driven and fatalities per capita, which each accounted for 45 percent of the final weight. Ten percent of the final score was derived from the percentage of drivers that use seatbelts.

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2010 Traffic fatalities: 390

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 23%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 16%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 26

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 22

Seatbelt usage: 93.10%

*2009 data

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

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2010 Traffic fatalities: 101

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 36%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 42%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 22

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 28

Seatbelt usage: 90.70%

*2009 data

Alex Brandon / AP Photo

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2010 Traffic fatalities: 1244

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 24%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 17%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 28

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 21

Seatbelt usage: 89.60%

*2009 data

Erik S. Lesser, Bloomberg / Getty Images

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2010 Traffic fatalities: 2998

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 42%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 40%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 17

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 25

Seatbelt usage: 93.80%

*2009 data

Tony Gutierrez / AP Photo

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2010 Traffic fatalities: 1319

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 29%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 37%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 24

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 17

Seatbelt usage: 89.70%

*2009 data

Davis Turner / Getty Images

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-arizona_f8zdwm

2010 Traffic fatalities: 762

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 25%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 32%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 19

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 24

Seatbelt usage: 81.80%

*2009 data

Jeff Topping / Getty Images

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-florida_mc5uqb

2010 Traffic fatalities: 2445

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 27%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 19%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 18

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 20

Seatbelt usage: 87.40%

*2009 data

John VanBeekum / AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-missouri_krtutf

2010 Traffic fatalities: 819

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 32%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 39%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 23

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 18

Seatbelt usage: 76.00%

*2009 data

AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-kansas_duzomv

2010 Traffic fatalities: 431

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 39%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 23%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 19

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 16

Seatbelt usage: 81.80%

*2009 data

Bo Rader, Wichita Eagle / Getty Images

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-idaho_bnksl1

2010 Traffic fatalities: 209

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 34%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 32%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 12

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 19

Seatbelt usage: 77.90%

*2009 data

Jeff T. Green / Getty Images

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-new-mexico_f6qh6n

2010 Traffic fatalities: 346

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 32%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 38%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 15

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 12

Seatbelt usage: 89.80%

*2009 data

Alan Copson / Corbis

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-tennessee_fwgcrg

2010 Traffic fatalities: 1031

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 27%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 22%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 13

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 13

Seatbelt usage: 87.10%

*2009 data

Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-south-dakota_bhmele

2010 Traffic fatalities: 140

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 26%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 23%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 16

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 10

Seatbelt usage: 74.50%

*2009 data

AP Photo

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2010 Traffic fatalities: 862

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 32%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 37%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 10

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 5

Seatbelt usage: 91.40%

*2009 data

AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-oklahoma_eythi2

2010 Traffic fatalities: 862

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 32%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 37%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 10

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 6

Seatbelt usage: 79.20%

*2009 data

AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-wisconsin_gfxtxg

2010 Traffic fatalities: 862

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 32%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 37%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 10

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 6

Seatbelt usage: 79.20%

*2009 data

Henryk Sadura / Corbis

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-north-dakota_tnv8bv

2010 Traffic fatalities: 105

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 45%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 40%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 7

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 15

Seatbelt usage: 74.80%

*2009 data

Bloomberg / Getty Images

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2010 Traffic fatalities: 760

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 23%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 20%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 8

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 8

Seatbelt usage: 80.30%

*2009 data

Henryk Sadura / Getty Images

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2010 Traffic fatalities: 710

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 32%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 33%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 2

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 14

Seatbelt usage: 75.90%

*2009 data

AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-south-carolina_nghcgm

2010 Traffic fatalities: 810

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 44%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 35%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 3

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 9

Seatbelt usage: 85.40%

*2009 data

Bruce Smith / AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-west-virginia_smkqbx

2010 Traffic fatalities: 315

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 28%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 42%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 3

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 11

Seatbelt usage: 82.10%

*2009 data

Walter Bibikow / Corbis

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-arkansas_pf1ofc

2010 Traffic fatalities: 563

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 31%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 19%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 5

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 3

Seatbelt usage: 78.30%

*2009 data

Danny Johnston / AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-mississippi_ifpepr

2010 Traffic fatalities: 641

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 37%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 20%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 6

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 2

Seatbelt usage: 81.00%

*2009 data

Rogelio V. Solis / AP Photo

galleries/2011/12/22/americas-worst-drivers-photos/americas-worst-drivers-wyoming_y4hjlm

2010 Traffic fatalities: 155

Percent of fatalities from alcohol impairment: 35%

Percent of fatalities from speeding: 37%

Fatalities per 100 million miles driven (rank out of 50 states)*: 13

Fatalities per 100,000 people (rank out of 50 states): 1

Seatbelt usage: 78.90%

*2009 data

Stephen Brashear / Getty Images

America’s Worst Drivers (photos)

The Daily Beast analyzes the statistics to figure out which state has the worst drivers.