Study Compares State Crash Fatality Rates
Montana, Mississippi and North Dakota have the highest fatality rates from road crashes per 100,000 people, researchers found.

Fatality rate from road crashes per population, 2013. Source: UMTRI.

Fatality rate from road crashes per population, 2013. Source: UMTRI.
A new study concludes that U.S. crash fatalities in 2013 represented 1.3 percent of fatalities from all causes, with Montana having the highest road death rate (2.4 percent) and the District of Columbia having the lowest (0.4 percent).
The study, released by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, compares road deaths to other causes of death in each state. Researchers relied on 2013 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The U.S. saw 10.4 road crash fatalities per 100,000 people, as compared with 193.3 from heart diseases, 185 from cancer, 47.2 from lung diseases, 40.8 from strokes, and 26.8 from Alzheimer’s disease, according to the report. The highest rate of fatal road crashes per 100,000 people was 22.6 in Montana – 7.3 times the lowest rate of 3.1 in the District of Columbia. The five states with the highest rates were Montana, Mississippi, North Dakota, West Virginia and Alabama. The five with the lowest rates were the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.
Collision fatalities as a percentage of deaths from other causes varied greatly among the states, the study concluded. “For example, fatalities from road crashes as a percentage of fatalities from Alzheimer’s disease ranged from 91.4% in New Mexico to 13.3% in Washington,” researchers noted in the project’s summarizing abstract.
Fatalities from road collisions corresponded to 5.4 percent of fatalities from heart diseases, 5.6 percent of fatalities from cancer, 21.9 percent of fatalities from lung diseases, 25.4 percent of fatalities from strokes, and 38.6 percent of fatalities from Alzheimer’s disease, the study found.
The study’s authors are Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
More Safety

Top 50 Executive Fleets
It is that time of year again! Time for the 2026 list of the Top 50 Executive Fleets, presented by Automotive Fleet and Volvo as part of its annual Fleet 500. Download now to see this year's list of companies!
Read More →
Applause & TRUCE Software Partner to Improve Driver Safety Through AI-Powered Telematics & Employee Performance Management
Applause has integrated TRUCE driving metrics directly into its employee-first performance and safety platform that transforms mobile devices into AI-powered telematics.
Read More →
How Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist Works
Do you want to see what it is like to experience Detroit Assurance’s Active Brake Assist? In this video, Work Truck will put you in the cab to see how it all works and then hear more details from DTNA’s Mike Young.
Read More →
Get Left of Loss: A 5-Step Workplace Prevention Framework for Fleet Operators
Violence risks do not stop at the driver’s door. Learn five practical steps fleets can take to spot threats early and protect workers before loss occurs.
Read More →How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%
Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.
Read More →
13 Safe Driving Tips for Commercial Vehicle Drivers
Make sure you are spending time on the road safely with these important tips.
Read More →
Recalls You Need to Know About in July 2026
If you have Altec, Ford, General Motors, Harbinger, Hyundai, Mack Trucks, or Volvo Trucks vehicles in your fleet, you should check these important recalls issued by the National Highway Safety Administration.
Read More →
How Telematics Is Transforming Fleet Risk from Insight to Action
What if you could spot risky driving before it leads to a crash? See how telematics is still changing fleet safety today.
Read More →
DOT Rules Remain Firmly Lit on Marijuana
DOT says not so fast on marijuana. Even with federal reclassification efforts, commercial drivers in safety-sensitive roles remain subject to marijuana testing and prohibitions.
Read More →
Lytx Adds Fleet Management Enhancements to LytxOne Platform
Lytx has added new features to LytxOne to bring safety, operational insight, asset visibility, and compliance into a unified, all-in-one platform.
Read More →
