Wisconsin has seventh lowest percentage of drowsy driver fatalities, according to study
- Wyoming recorded 8.37% for drivers killed in fatal car crashes while being drowsy or asleep at the wheel.
- Colorado had the second highest rate of drowsy driver fatalities (4.55%), whilst Texas was third (4.17%).
- Florida recorded the lowest rate of drowsy driver fatalities at 0.23%, followed by North Carolina and Arkansas.
A new study has found that Wyoming has the highest percentage of drivers killed in car crashes while drowsy or asleep behind the wheel. Wisconsin came 44th on the list out of all US states.
Florida personal injury lawyers Anidjar & Levine analyzed accident fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) between 2018 and 2022 to determine the proportion of driver fatalities in each state where the driver was drowsy or asleep behind the wheel.
Wyoming recorded with highest rate of drowsy driver fatalities, with 8.37% of drivers killed in car crashes caused by being drowsy or asleep at the wheel. 35 out of 453 total crashes involved a driver who was drowsy behind the wheel between 2018 and 2022.
The 10 states with the highest percentage of drowsy driver fatalities (2018 – 2022)
|
Rank
|
State
|
Number of driver fatalities where the driver was drowsy or asleep
(2018 – 2022)
|
Total number of driver fatalities
(2018 – 2022)
|
Percentage of drowsy driver fatalities
(2018 – 2022)
|
|
1.
|
Wyoming
|
35
|
453
|
8.37%
|
|
2.
|
Colorado
|
93
|
2,138
|
4.55%
|
|
3.
|
Texas
|
496
|
12,387
|
4.17%
|
|
4.
|
Maine
|
22
|
580
|
3.94%
|
|
5.
|
Rhode Island
|
7
|
200
|
3.63%
|
|
6.
|
Alaska
|
7
|
215
|
3.37%
|
|
7.
|
Montana
|
23
|
733
|
3.24%
|
|
8.
|
Alabama
|
104
|
3,348
|
3.21%
|
|
9.
|
Kansas
|
40
|
1,502
|
2.74%
|
|
10.
|
Idaho
|
22
|
841
|
2.69%
|
Colorado ranked second with 4.55% of drivers killed in fatal car crashes while drowsy or asleep. 93 out of 2,138 crashes where the driver was killed, involved a driver who was drowsy or asleep.
Texas ranked third with 4.17% of drivers killed in fatal car crashes being drowsy or asleep. Of 12,387 fatal crashes involving the vehicle’s driver, 496 drivers were reported to have been drowsy or asleep behind the wheel.
Maine came fourth with 3.94% of drivers involved in fatal car crashes while being drowsy or asleep. 22 out of 580 fatal crashes throughout this period involved a driver who was drowsy or asleep.
Rhode Island ranked fifth with 3.63% of drivers involved in fatal car crashes while being drowsy or asleep. Out of 200 total crashes where the driver was killed, seven drivers were reported as drowsy or asleep behind the wheel.
The remainder of the top ten includes Alaska, Montana, Alabama, Kansas, and Idaho.
Florida recorded the lowest rate of drowsy driver fatalities with just 0.23% of drivers killed in fatal car crashes (22 out of 9,641), while being drowsy or asleep.
“Driving while drowsy can greatly impair reaction time and split-second decision making, meaning it is harder to respond to other road users and potential hazards. It’s tragic to think that many of these incidents could have easily been avoided, had the driver taken adequate breaks throughout their journey or allowed someone else to drive the vehicle.
“Furthermore, our analysis did not account for passenger deaths caused by these same drivers, so the actual death toll is likely to be even higher for each of these states.”
All states ranked by percentage of drowsy driver fatalities (2018 – 2022)
|
Rank
|
State
|
Number of driver fatalities where the driver was drowsy or asleep
(2018 – 2022)
|
Total number of driver fatalities
(2018 – 2022)
|
Percentage of drowsy driver fatalities
(2018 – 2022)
|
|
1.
|
Wyoming
|
35
|
453
|
8.37%
|
|
2.
|
Colorado
|
93
|
2,138
|
4.55%
|
|
3.
|
Texas
|
496
|
12,387
|
4.17%
|
|
4.
|
Maine
|
22
|
580
|
3.94%
|
|
5.
|
Rhode Island
|
7
|
200
|
3.63%
|
|
6.
|
Alaska
|
7
|
215
|
3.37%
|
|
7.
|
Montana
|
23
|
733
|
3.24%
|
|
8.
|
Alabama
|
104
|
3,348
|
3.21%
|
|
9.
|
Kansas
|
40
|
1,502
|
2.74%
|
|
10.
|
Idaho
|
22
|
841
|
2.69%
|
|
11.
|
Utah
|
20
|
898
|
2.28%
|
|
12.
|
New Hampshire
|
9
|
444
|
2.07%
|
|
13.
|
Virginia
|
56
|
3,059
|
1.86%
|
|
14.
|
Hawaii
|
5
|
278
|
1.83%
|
|
15.
|
New Mexico
|
20
|
1,239
|
1.64%
|
|
16.
|
Oregon
|
26
|
1,735
|
1.52%
|
|
17.
|
Washington
|
28
|
1,900
|
1.50%
|
|
18.
|
Missouri
|
45
|
3,351
|
1.36%
|
|
19.
|
West Virginia
|
12
|
983
|
1.24%
|
|
20.
|
Kentucky
|
32
|
2,662
|
1.22%
|
|
21.
|
Georgia
|
51
|
5,317
|
0.97%
|
|
22.(=)
|
Indiana
|
28
|
3,043
|
0.93%
|
|
22.(=)
|
Oklahoma
|
21
|
2,287
|
0.93%
|
|
24.
|
Massachusetts
|
11
|
1,238
|
0.90%
|
|
25.
|
South Dakota
|
4
|
455
|
0.89%
|
|
26.
|
Nevada
|
9
|
1,051
|
0.86%
|
|
27.
|
Vermont
|
2
|
239
|
0.84%
|
|
28.
|
Ohio
|
33
|
4,134
|
0.80%
|
|
29.
|
Delaware
|
3
|
384
|
0.79%
|
|
30.
|
Arizona
|
24
|
3,121
|
0.77%
|
|
31.
|
South Carolina
|
27
|
3,585
|
0.76%
|
|
32.
|
Tennessee
|
30
|
4,083
|
0.74%
|
|
33.(=)
|
Pennsylvania
|
28
|
3,896
|
0.72%
|
|
33.(=)
|
New York
|
21
|
2,932
|
0.72%
|
|
33.(=)
|
Connecticut
|
7
|
985
|
0.72%
|
|
36.(=)
|
Maryland
|
11
|
1,625
|
0.68%
|
|
36.(=)
|
Mississippi
|
16
|
2,369
|
0.68%
|
|
38.
|
Louisiana
|
17
|
2,579
|
0.66%
|
|
39.
|
Minnesota
|
9
|
1,457
|
0.62%
|
|
40.
|
Iowa
|
7
|
1,233
|
0.57%
|
|
41.
|
North Dakota
|
2
|
371
|
0.54%
|
|
42.
|
California
|
56
|
10,957
|
0.51%
|
|
43.
|
Nebraska
|
4
|
839
|
0.48%
|
|
44.
|
Wisconsin
|
10
|
2,132
|
0.47%
|
|
45.
|
Michigan
|
14
|
3,440
|
0.41%
|
|
46.
|
New Jersey
|
6
|
1,605
|
0.38%
|
|
47.
|
Illinois
|
12
|
3,716
|
0.32%
|
|
48.
|
Arkansas
|
6
|
2,101
|
0.29%
|
|
49.
|
North Carolina
|
13
|
5,218
|
0.25%
|
|
50.
|
Florida
|
22
|
9,641
|
0.23%
|
story credit:
Sources:
Methodology:
Motor vehicle crash data from 2018 to 2022 was taken from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The number of driver fatalities, where the driver was drowsy or asleep at the time of the incident, was compared to the total number of driver fatalities during this time frame for each state. States were then ranked from highest to lowest rates of driver fatalities where the driver was drowsy or asleep.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at keechertheteacher@gmail.com
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