Despite advances in technology and efforts by law enforcement, car crashes continue to pose a problem in the United States. Whether by accident, human error or some other factor, car crashes are likely to remain an issue for the foreseeable future. One of the most unfortunate outcomes of a car crash is the potential loss of life. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 36,560 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2018, down 2.4% from 37,473 in 2017. While the overall downward trend is promising, certain states are home to more car crash-related fatalities than others. For drivers in such locations, aside from the obvious safety concerns, the threat of higher insurance rates because of a crash is also on the table. According to The Zebra, historical data show drivers who have been in a crash are more likely to get another accident, so insurance companies account for this added risk by increasing premiums for drivers involved in collisions. To determine which states have the most and fewest traffic fatalities in the U.S., Priceonomics.com and PersonalInjurySanDiego.org analyzed data from the NHTSA on the rate of traffic fatalities in states and cities across America. On a state level, the most recent data available is from 2018, and the number of traffic fatalities is per 100,000 citizens. With this in mind, explore the slideshow above to see the five states with the most traffic fatalities in 2018, followed by the five states with the fewest traffic fatalities in 2018. Related:

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