It has been widely reported that sleep deprivation can have a serious impact on daily behaviors, like driving a car. The NHTSA estimates that in 2017, there were 91,000 police-reported car accidents that involved drowsy drivers, which led to the injuries of around 50,000 people and nearly 800 deaths.
Dealer.com conducted an analysis of 2022 County Health Rankings data to compare and determine which states in America are the most dangerous to drive in, based on the following factors: the percentage of people who suffer from insufficient sleep, and the percentage of motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 people.
The data breakdown for each state also shows additional issues contributing towards dangerous driving conditions, including: the average traffic volume per meter of major roadways, the percentage of alcohol impaired driving deaths, and overall driving deaths within the state. The data reveals that overall, California is ranked as the #1 most dangerous state in which to drive, considering a combination of the aforementioned factors.
North Carolina unfortunately ranked in 12th position – making it among the most dangerous states to drive in when it comes to drowsy drivers. The Tar Heel State has an insufficient sleep rate of 36%, combined with a 10.5% rate of motor vehicle deaths per 100,000 people. The traffic volume per meter of major roadways is 228 and 26% of driving deaths involve alcohol. Finally, the number of driving deaths in the state was 7,210 in 2019.
South Carolina ranked just slightly better, coming in at 13th overall.
You can read the full report here.