PROVIDENCE – With winter weather right around the corner and many hitting the roads for holiday travel Rhode Island ranks No. 4 in the U.S. for the proportion of fatal accidents occurring on highways, according to a study released Nov. 21.
The study, conducted by a Louisiana-based personal injury lawyer Scott Vicknair, analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration between 2017 – 2021 to determine which states had the largest percentage of driver fatalities on highways.
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While Rhode Island reported the smallest number of fatal road accidents of 313, more than 25% of those took place on highways, which is almost 10% higher than the national average of 16.04%.
Ranking No. 5 just behind Rhode Island was Connecticut with more than 24.7% of the 1,338 fatal road accidents over the time period occurring on a highway. Massachusetts also came in ninth place with 20.61% of the 1,718 deadly accidents taking place on highways, according to the study.
Alaska, Wyoming and California took the top three spots in the study for the proportion of fatal accidents taking place on highways.
Vicknair noted that his findings highlight the risks of highway travel and show the need for more safety measures and awareness campaigns.
“It underscores the importance of continued efforts to enhance road infrastructure and promote responsible driving behavior to reduce fatal accidents on freeways nationwide,” Vicknair said.
The study also comes after a report released earlier this year from the NHTSA showed that the number of people killed in traffic accidents on Rhode Island roads dropped 6% year over year in 2021, PBN previously reported.
The agency found that there was a 10% rise in traffic fatalities on U.S. roadways year over year in 2021 – representing the largest increase since NHSTA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System started tracking data in 1975.
While there was a decrease in alcohol-impaired driving in Rhode Island, the agency found that speeding, distracted or impaired driving were on the rise nationwide.
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Castellani@PBN.com.
