Kentucky Highways Receive Another Poor Safety Rating

Once again, Kentucky has received a poor rating in a nationwide review of highway safety.In November, we reported that the roads in Kentucky are ranked as the ninth worst roads in the United States, according to MainStreet.com. Now in a new ranking based on highway accident and fatality statistics, Car Insurance Comparison ranked Kentucky seventh on its list of worse drivers. 

Analyzing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the American Motorists Association and MADD, Car Insurance Comparison rated each state according to fatalities per million miles, number of tickets issued, drunk drivers, failure to obey traffic laws and careless driving.

The ten states with the most dangerous drivers, according to the survey are: Louisiana, Missouri, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona, Kentucky, Montana, Alabama and South Carolina, respectively. 

Kentucky drivers were ranked high in the number of drunk drivers (42nd) and careless drivers (48th). These reckless driving behaviors left Kentucky ranked 44th in fatalities. According to the Kentucky State Police (KSP), during 2010 there were 4,762 collisions caused by drivers who were under the influence of alcohol, with 167 of those crashes leading to fatalities and 2,489 resulting in injuries.

Despite the poor ratings, this year’s Thanksgiving Holiday saw the least amount of traffic fatalities in years. KSP officers were out in force during the long travel weekend, enforcing the speed limit and the seat belt law, as well as being on the lookout for drunk drivers. The increased police presence may have made a difference, as only two people died during the weekend. This compares to nine lives lost in 2010. In the years from 2006 – 2009 Kentucky had 8, 9, 11 and 14 fatalities over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, respectively. 

Our Lexington car accident attorneys thank the law enforcement officials for cracking down on unsafe drivers in our state.We ask that all drivers take extra initiative during the upcoming holiday season to drive carefully and to get a designated driver after drinking at holiday gatherings. We all need to do our part to improve Kentucky’s highway safety ratings.