Policy Study

26th Annual Highway Report: Rural Fatality Rate

The rural fatality rate measures fatalities on all rural arterials in the state. The nation’s rural highway fatality rate improved from 1.36 in 2018 to 1.26 in 2019 (Table 18, Rural Fatality Rate per 100 Million Vehicle- Miles, 2019, Figure 13). In 2019, 6,273 rural fatalities were reported, fewer than the 6,654 rural fatalities reported in 2018, as rural VMT (vehicle-miles of travel) increased to 0.50 trillion from 0.49 trillion in 2018.

For 2019, Rhode Island reported the lowest rural fatality rate, 0.17, while Hawaii reported the highest, 4.86. Twenty-nine states reported a decrease in their rural fatality rate compared to 2018, led by North Carolina, Hawaii, and Rhode Island (which improved 2.41, 1.74, and 1.15 points respectively). Twenty-one states saw their fatality rate increase, led by Nevada, Utah, and Nebraska (at 0.56, 0.51, and 0.40 points, respectively).

Rural Highway Fatality Rate (Per 100 Million Vehicle-Miles Traveled)
2019 RankStateFatality Rate Per 100 Million Rural Vehicle-Miles
1Rhode Island0.17
2Vermont0.39
3Connecticut0.40
4Massachusetts0.48
5Maryland0.57
6Minnesota0.60
7Michigan0.66
8North Dakota0.73
9New Jersey0.75
10Pennsylvania0.75
10Ohio0.78
12Maine0.82
13Iowa0.83
14South Dakota0.84
15Illinois0.85
16Wisconsin0.89
17New York0.98
18Missouri1.02
19Virginia1.03
20Kentucky1.05
21Washington1.05
22Georgia1.12
23Tennessee1.13
24North Carolina1.18
25Louisiana1.18
26Colorado1.24
27Indiana1.34
28Texas1.35
29New Hampshire1.35
30West Virginia1.38
31Oklahoma1.39
32California1.42
33Arizona1.43
33Oregon1.46
35Mississippi1.50
35Idaho1.53
37Montana1.54
38Utah1.58
39Nebraska1.62
40Alabama1.67
41New Mexico1.74
41Delaware1.82
43Florida1.86
44Wyoming1.92
45Kansas1.97
46Alaska2.01
47Arkansas2.06
48South Carolina2.19
49Nevada2.30
50Hawaii4.86
Average1.26
View national trends and state-by-state performances by category:
overall
Overall
total-disbursements-per-mile
Total Disbursements Per Mile
capital-bridge-disbursements-per-mile
Capital & Bridge Disbursements Per Mile
maintenance-disbursements-per-mile
Maintenance Disbursements Per Mile
administrative-disbursements-per-mile
Administrative Disbursements Per Mile
rural-interstate-percent-poor-condition
Rural Interstate Pavement Condition
rural-other-principal-arterial-percent-narrow-lanes
Rural Arterial Pavement Condition
urban-interstate-percent-poor-condition
Urban Interstate Pavement Condition
rural-other-principal-arterial-percent-poor-condition
Urban Arterial Pavement Condition
urbanized-area-congestion-peak-hours-spent-in-congestion-per-auto-commuter
Urbanized Area Congestion
bridges-percent-deficient
Structurally Deficient Bridges
fatality-rate-per-100-million-vehicle-miles-of-travel
Overall Fatality Rate
fatality-rate-per-100-million-vehicle-miles-of-travel
Rural Fatality Rate
fatality-rate-per-100-million-vehicle-miles-of-travel
Urban Fatality Rate