Unfortunately, car accidents are a common occurrence, and more often than not, at least one of the drivers involved in the accident is at fault. Car accidents can cause a lot of issues for those involved, from being a minor inconvenience to resulting in serious injury or death. Here’s a list of 15 states and their most populous cities that see more at-fault accidents than others.
#1: Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is the most populous city in Alaska, with a population of more than 280,000 people. More than 11% of drivers have an at-fault accident on their driving record. Statewide, there are more than 12,500 accidents each year with nearly 5,000 suffering injuries from these accidents.
#2: Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the most populous city in Vermont, with a population of more than 44,000 people. The percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident on their record is 13.39%. Unfortunately, the entire state’s highway fatalities have been increasing since 2019.
#3: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (the state’s second most populous city) has a particularly high percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident on their record at nearly 13%. As for the entire state, Iowa hasn’t seen a year with less than 300 fatalities from car accidents since 1925.
#4: Charleston, South Carolina and Charleston, West Virginia
The two Charlestons are the most populous cities in both South Carolina and West Virginia. Charleston, South Carolina is more than three times the size of Charleston, West Virginia, with a population of over 150,000 versus a population of just over 48,000, respectively. In Charleston, SC, a higher percentage of drivers (15.76%) have an at-fault accident on their record, whereas Charleston, WV has a lower percentage (8.30%).
#5: Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is North Carolina’s most populous city, and not surprisingly, it has the highest percentage (14.59%) of drivers with a prior at-fault accident of all of North Carolina’s cities.
#6: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of Wyoming, which happens to be the least populous state in the U.S. 12.43% percent of Cheyenne’s drivers have a prior at-fault accident on their record. As for Wyoming as a whole, it was ranked as the worst in the nation for drunk driving in 2020.
#7: Dover, Delaware
Dover is Delaware’s capital, yet it’s only the second most populous city with 36,047 people (compared to the most populous city of Wilmington with over 70,000 people). Nearly 10% of Dover drivers have an at-fault accident on their record.
#8: Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is North Dakota’s most populous city, with a population of 126,748 people. More than 10% of Fargo drivers have a previous at-fault accident on their driving record.
#9: Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, the capital city of Hawaii, is known for a lot of things, yet reckless driving may not be one of the first things that come to mind. 9.55% of Honolulu drivers have an at-fault accident on their record.
#10: Lincoln, Nebraska
Though not the most populous city in Nebraska (that title goes to Omaha), Lincoln has the highest percentage of drivers with an at-fault accident in the entire state, and it also has the highest percentage on this list, with 16.22%.
#11: Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is New Hampshire’s most populous city, with a population of 115,462 people. 14.36% of Manchester’s drivers have a previous accident on their record that they were at fault for.
#12: Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is the fifth largest city in Illinois with a population of just under 150,000. It is, however, considered a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Close to 12% of all Naperville drivers have been the cause of a car accident in the area. Fortunately, victims of these accidents in Naperville can contact car accident lawyers in Chicago.
#13: Portland, Maine
Portland is the capital and largest city in Maine. Just over 10% of Portland’s drivers are recorded to have a previous at-fault accident on their driving records.
#14: St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Paul is Minnesota’s capital and second most populous city, with its “twin” Minneapolis being the most populous. However, St. Paul has a higher percentage (more than 8%) of drivers with previous, at-fault accidents on their records.
#15: Warwick, Rhode Island
Finally, Warwick, Rhode Island (the state’s second most populous city) ends the alphabetical list of cities with the highest percentage of drivers with at-fault accidents. Warwick’s percentage sits right under 13%. The state of Rhode Island (especially in the capital of Providence) also tends to have higher insurance rates than the majority of the country.
These results may seem surprising since states like California, Texas, New York, and Florida aren’t on this list. This is because their major cities don’t rank as high with at-fault drivers as those on the list. Simi Valley, Flower Mound, Schenectady, and Gainesville are the cities that see the most accidents, respectively. A larger, more populous city doesn’t always mean more car accidents.
