Two Studies Reveal Utah’s Actual Driving Safety Record Differs From Its Reputation

Utah has a reputation for bad drivers, especially if you talk to people who recently moved here. However, two recent studies that looked at each state's highway statistics and the fatality rates and found that Utah ranks high among the safest places to drive.

Statistics Speak Some Truth About Utah's Safety Rankings

Sometimes perception can be different than the actual statistics. Is it possible that those who find Utah drivers to be so awful may mistake bad driving with less familiarity with higher speeds on the freeway and less traffic on the roads?

Ravid & Associates looked at numbers like fatalities per 100,000 people, crashes that involved speed, drunk diving, and seatbelt use. Utah was the safest by far of anywhere else in the west and putting it at #47 on the least dangerous side.

gray concrete road with no vehicle during daytime

Fatality Rates and Safe Driving: What the Numbers Show

Those statistics include 7.9 fatalities per 100,000 people. Speeding numbers and alcohol impairment were lower. Minnesota was the safest state followed by New Jersey and New York of all places.

All the states bordering Utah are on the more dangerous side, with Arizona at #4 and Colorado at #3. The most dangerous state on the list was Montana with 18.1 deaths per 100,000 people and 37% for alcohol impaired driving.

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A study by Munley Law comparing each state's drivers found Utah in a similar spot at 4th highest on the good side. Maybe keep this information handy the next time your neighbor from California rolls their eyes about Utah local's driving skills.