Mississippi has the 2nd lowest percentage of traffic deaths that involve speeding in the U.S.

Jun 25, 2020

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, analysts at Co-Pilot ranked states according to the percentage of total traffic fatalities that involve speeding.

In Mississippi, 11.4% of total traffic deaths involve speeding. Out of all states, Mississippi has the 2nd lowest percentage of traffic deaths that involve speeding in the U.S.

When lockdown orders from the COVID-19 pandemic went into effect across the country, car traffic declined significantly. But research from the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) shows that even though there were fewer cars on the road during this time, speeding and reckless driving increased. While the relatively empty streets might lull drivers into a false sense of security, speeding is still dangerous and claims the lives of nearly 10,000 Americans every year.

Speeding is responsible for more than a quarter of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) considers a crash to be speeding-related if one of the drivers is cited for a speeding-related offense or if an officer determines that driving too fast for conditions, racing, or exceeding the speed limit was a contributing factor in the crash.

Another significant factor in speed-related deaths is alcohol consumption. Data shows that over the past five years, 47 percent of all speed-related deaths involved a driver with a positive blood alcohol content. Among U.S. states, there is a strong positive correlation between the share of fatalities due to speeding and the share of drivers in fatal accidents with a positive blood alcohol content.

Here is a summary of the data for Mississippi: