MS has more deadly car crashes than any US state, study finds. Here’s why

Mississippi has the highest rate of car crash fatalities in the United States, a recent study found.

The study by King Stahlman Bail Bonds, a San Diego-based bail bond company, analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from the latest five years to find where deadly car crashes are most common and what factors are most often seen in these types of crashes.

The Magnolia state has a fatal crash rate of 160.9 per 100,000 licensed drivers in the state — more than four times the state with the lowest deadly crash rate, the study found.

Here’s what to know about car crash fatalities in Mississippi. Key causes of MS car crash deaths

The most common causes of deadly car crashes in Mississippi include the following, according to the King Stahlman Bail Bonds Study: * High share of rural roads * Longer emergency response times * Long-distance travel * Distracted driving

“Long stretches of rural highways encourage higher speeds and emergency response times can be longer than in urban areas,” said Alana Diego, spokesperson at King Stahlman Bail Bonds, in a Nov. 30 news release. “Combined with age-related vulnerabilities and inexperience among younger drivers, these factors contribute to the state’s high fatal-crash rate.”

About 19% of all fatal crashes in Mississippi involve drivers ages 65 and older, while nearly 13% involve drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, according to the study.

Speeding is an issue in about 18% of deadly car crashes and distracted driving contributes to nearly 2%, the study found. Which states have the highest fatal-crash rates per capita?

These are the U.S. states with the most deadly car crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, according to the King Stahlman Bail Bonds study:

1. Mississippi: 161 crashes per capita

2. New Mexico: 134.3

3. Wyoming: 133.6

4. South Carolina: 125.2

5. Arkansas: 122.2

6. Oklahoma: 121.3

7. Kentucky: 119.8

8. Tennessee: 116.2

9. Louisiana: 114.9

10. Montana: 112.1 Which states have the lowest fatal-crash rates per capita?

These are the 10 states with the lowest deadly crash rates per 100,000 licensed drivers, according to the King Stahlman Bail Bonds study:

1. Massachusetts: 36.4 crashes per capita

2. Rhode Island: 39.5

3. New York: 42.8

4. New Jersey: 45.7

5. Minnesota: 46.9

6. New Hampshire: 47.1

7. Hawaii: 51.9

8. Washington: 52.7

9. Connecticut: 54.7

10. Alaska: 59.3 How did bail bond company come up with ranking?

Researchers at King Stahlman Bail Bonds analyzed the most recently available crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to rank states by number of deadly car crashes.

The analysis included data from 2019 to 2023 on deadly crashes involving speeding, distracted driving, drowsy driving, drivers ages 65 and older and drivers between the ages of 15 and 20, according to researchers.

© 2025 The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.). Visit www.sunherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.