Twin studies commissioned by Ohio Attorney John Fitch and the Florida Neufeld Lawfirm dug into national highway safety statistics to reveal the Utah is the third most-dangerous state for youthful drivers (Image courtesy of Unsplash).
COLUMBUS, OH – Recent analysis of highway safety statistics has revealed that Utah is the third most dangerous state in the nation for young drivers.
That finding was obtained from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data compiled from 2017 to 2021, according to a national study commissioned by Ohio personal injury attorney John Fitch.
That study found that young Utah drivers aged 16 to 24 were involved in a total of 163 traffic accidents with fatalities between 2017 and 2021. Those incidents represented nearly 18.95 percent of all Utah traffic fatalities during the same period.
Only Rhode Island and Texas ranked worse than Utah among the 50 states, with 19.81 percent and 19.06 percent respectively of traffic fatalities involving young drivers between 2017 and 2021.
But Fitch isn’t the only one looking at traffic safety statistics.
A similar study by attorneys at the Florida-based Neufeld Lawfirm drilled down into data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System to obtain demographic information about the age, sex and race of drivers most likely to get into a car accident in 2021.
Unsurprising, that study revealed that 16- to 20-year-old white male drivers were most likely to get involved in auto accidents in Utah.
“Young drivers may face unique challenges as they navigate their newfound independence and learn to handle the responsibilities of being behind the wheel,” a spokesman for the Neufeld Lawfirm explained.
He added that states like Utah may need to focus on comprehensive driver education, mentorship programs and increased parental involvement to help young drivers develop the necessary skills and knowledge to stay safe.
Fitch agreed, saying that the ultimate goals of studies like his should be to reduce the number of tragic accidents on American roads.
“While it is highly unlikely that we will ever eliminate all driver fatalities,” he observed, “it is important that we identify what certain states are doing differently that could be accounting for these varying rates of young driver deaths.”
The Fitch study suggests that, at a national level, the most dangerous drivers across all age ranges are actually within the 25- to 34-year old age bracket, accounting for 20.11 percent of all fatal road accidents across the entirely of the 50 states between 2017 and 2021.
But the Neufeld study found that white males between 21 and 25 seem statistically more likely to get into fatal car crashes of all types with a total of 3,036 incidents reported in 2021, followed by 26- to 30-year-olds with 2,958 accidents and 31- to 35-year-olds with 2,821 crashes.
Contrary to popular belief, male drivers are much more likely to be involved in traffic mishaps compared to female drivers, according to the Neufeld study, regardless of age and race.
In 2021, male drivers were involved in 21,329 fatal crashes as opposed to 6,049 accidents where a female was driving.
That comparison is even more striking when the number of 2021 crashes is compared to the licensed population of men and women in the United States.
Out of more than 117 million female drivers in 2021, there were only 6,049 fatal crashes reported, for a rate of 5.1 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers.
Out of more than 115 million male drivers, however, there were 21,329 fatal accidents reported, for a rate of 18.5 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers.
The Fitch study can be found at http://www.johnfitch.com
The Neufeld study can be found at https://www.neufeldlawfirm.com
Fitch heads a law partnership with offices in the Ohio communities of Columbus, Marion, Dayton and Springfield.
In Florida, the Neufeld Lawfirm operates offices in Aventura, Lakeland, Miami and Plantation.