VA Among Worst States For Speed-Related Deaths: Study

VIRGINIA — More than a third of drivers who died in fatal collisions on Virginia roads were driving too fast at the time of the crash, according to a new study that revealed the state is among the worst for traffic deaths linked to speed.

A study conducted by Simmrin Law Group analyzed 2022 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and 2024 Insurify data to rank states based on speeding-related fatalities.

The study used five indicators to rank states, including speeding tickets, fatal crashes involving speeding, and driver, passenger, and pedestrian deaths. States were then assigned a score, with higher scores indicating worse speeding issues.

Virginia ranked 16th in the nation for the number of traffic deaths caused by speeding. According to the study, 34 percent of drivers killed behind the wheel were speeding at the time of the crash.

Here's a look at how Virginia fared in other categories

• Drivers with speeding tickets: 6.54 percent
• Fatal crashes involving speeding: 29.18 percent
• Occupants killed in speeding crashes: 34.27 percent
• Pedestrians killed in speeding crashes: 9.83 percent

Nationally, the study found Rhode Island ranked as the worst state for speeding-related fatalities in 2024 with just over 44 percent of fatal crashes attributed to speeding. Pennsylvania came in at No. 2 followed by Alaska at No. 3.

Meanwhile, Florida scored best with just over 10 percent of fatal crashes caused by speeding, followed by Kentucky and Arkansas.

Of the 10,922 reported fatal crashes in the United States, 28 percent involved speeding, according to the study. One in three drivers were speeding before they were killed in crashes, and 44 percent were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

See the full study at SimmrinLawGroup.com.