Pennsylvania has one the largest populations in the United States, which translates to a lot of motorists on the roads, streets and highways of the Keystone State. According to a survey conducted by the website WalletHub, Pennsylvania also happens to have a less than stellar score when it comes to road safety. The state ranked 31st among all states (Minnesota scored highest, Arizona scored lowest).
Among the data examined in compiling the road safety score was primarily related to car accidents. The factors that weighed heaviest in the scoring were fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel and the fatality rates of pedestrians and non-motorized cyclists per capita. Pennsylvania averaged 1.16 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2016. By contrast Minnesota averaged 0.66 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, and South Carolina, with the nation’s highest rate, averaged 1.88 deaths per 100 million miles traveled.
The state’s traffic fatality rates weighed heavily against their position in the survey’s scoring system. Other factors considered in the ranking included the quality of the state’s roads, the driving laws in place, such as primary enforcement seatbelt laws, and incidence of poor driving behaviors like speeding and phone use. The final factor weighed in determining Pennsylvania’s score was the number of DUI’s per capita.
In this final factor, Pennsylvania came in right at the national average. So, clearly there remains work to be done in making Pennsylvania’s roads safer for its drivers. Anyone who has been injured in an accident due to another’s unsafe driving may benefit from seeking the advice of an attorney with experience handling motor vehicle accident cases.