What State Drives The Fastest? Speeding Report

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a significant report on speeding and its impact on road safety. The report sheds light on the alarming increase in traffic-related fatalities caused by excessive speeding in recent years. Speeding is a dangerous behavior that poses a severe risk to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike. In this “Speeding Report,” we delve into the latest data to identify states with the highest incidence of speeding, examine the major causes contributing to this dangerous behavior, and analyze the trends in speeding-related accidents. By ranking each state from best to worst, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of responsible driving and the need for effective measures to address speeding and ensure safer roadways for everyone.

Note: Driving statistics take time to collect. This report features the latest data released in April 2023.

Is there any difference between gender and age?

The data shows that individuals aged 25-34 have demonstrated the highest tendency to exceed the speed limit, with a total of 820 accidents reported for this age group.

Comparatively, drivers aged 15-24 showed slightly fewer violations of the speed limit, recording a total of 725 accidents throughout the year. Surprisingly, this figure is nearly equivalent to drivers aged 55-75, where 726 individuals were reported for exceeding the speed limit over the same period.

Throughout the year, male drivers were involved in speeding-related accidents 2,390 times, while female drivers experienced such accidents at a significantly lower rate—60% less, with 872 occurrences. It is evident that male drivers are leading in fatal crashes involving speeding in all of the listed states despite Montana.

Breakdown by States

States most frequently driving at dangerously high speeds

New Mexico leads the nation with the highest number of speeding-related drivers. New Mexico reported 174 fatal motor vehicle crashes involving speeding in 2021, comprising approximately 40% of the total fatal crashes for the year. This data underscores the urgency of addressing speeding-related issues to improve road safety in the state.

The second worst state is Hawaii, followed by Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, Montana and Virginia.

States with the least speeding  

Both Alaska and Vermont had zero deaths in fatal crashes involving speeding. These perfect performers were followed by Nevada, Connecticut, Utah, West Virginia, California, South Dakota, Georgia, and Arkansas.

The substantial variation in speed driving crashes may, in part, be attributed to variations in state guidelines for reporting such accidents. Additionally, it could be the outcome of dedicated efforts by local governments to address speed driving through measures like anti-text laws, awareness campaigns, and other initiatives.

The complete list of speeding statistics for each state

Methodology

Data in this report has been gathered from different governmental websites, including the Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST) developed by NHTSA.