Car Crash Fatalities – North Dakota
Motor Vehicle Fatalities and Accidents
There were 131 road fatalities in North Dakota in 2015 compared to 127 deaths in 2014. A total of 4932 people were injured in traffic crashes. One traffic crash occurred every 35 minutes in 2015, and one person perished in a crash every 2.8 days. One teen driver crash happened every 3.1 hours; one speed related crash happened every 3.2 hours. An alcohol-related accident happened every 10.4 hours and one person not wearing a seatbelt died every 5.4 days.
Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.30 in 2015 and 1.29 in 2014. Motor vehicle fatalities have been steadily declining in North Dakota since 2012. Vehicle miles traveled have also remained consistent.
This state is ranked #48 in terms of safety for teen drivers and #42 regarding driving laws for teenagers. It is also among the five states that have the most teen driver fatalities per teen population and the most teen DUIs per teen population. Older drivers account for 17.2% of all drivers and were involved in 14.3% of crashes.
Causes of Fatalities and Accidents
The leading causes of vehicle fatalities include impaired driving, speed, distracted driving and lack of seat belt use.
43.2% of fatal crashes in 2015 were alcohol-related compared to 43.8% in 2014. 32.4% of fatal accidents were speed related. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism also ranks the Dakotas among the highest consumers of alcohol. Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities ranged from 41% to 20% in the U.S. North Dakota's rate is on the higher side along with Massachusetts and Texas.
Seat belt usage is at 80.4% which is below the national average of 89%. It is also a decline from the state's rate of 81% in 2014. 60.9% of fatalities in 2015 were seat belt related compared to 68.2% in 2014.
Crash Trends
The highest percentage of traffic crashes occurred on Fridays. The probability of dying in a car crash is 1/4,888. The probability of being involved in a car crash that is fatal is 1/2436. Summers see more crashes and fatalities. Family vacations add to the volume of traffic on the road. Teen drivers on the road also increase during the summer. The months between Memorial Day and Labor Day are known as teen driver's 100 Deadliest Days. 86% of fatal accidents in the state occur on rural roads. This is the 4th highest rate among all states.