New Study Ranks Wyoming Fourth Most Dangerous State For Drivers

A new study from Forbes Advisor ranks Wyoming as the fourth most dangerous state for drivers.

You can see the survey here.

The study looked at National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] metrics for traffic fatalities as well as fatalities caused by negligent driving. The study measured "fatal car accidents per capita, total number of people killed in car accidents per capita, the percent change in car accident fatalities from 2020 to 2021 and the percent of fatalities as a result of negligent driving. Each metric was given an individual weight to provide every state with a score scaled out of 100."

The study gave Wyoming a dangerous driving score of 96, with the most dangerous state, Montana, getting a score of 100. South Carolina and New Mexico were rated the second and third most dangerous states.

Interestingly, Wyoming's neighbor, Nebraska, was rated the second safest state, trailing only New Jersey in that category.

The study found that one problem in Wyoming is speeding:

''Out of the top ten deadliest states for driving, Wyoming and South Carolina tie for the most speeding deaths as a percentage of overall fatalities at 41%. High speed limits in Wyoming, which reach 80 mph on state highways, contribute to the increased number of deaths.''

Wyoming also did poorly in terms of impaired driving, with 72 percent of the state's fatalities having driver impairment as a factor.

Numerous traffic studies in recent years have rated Wyoming as one of the worst states for impaired driving. For example, one study from last year found Wyoming trailing only New Mexico in the percentage of traffic deaths from impaired driving.