Worst US states for delivery driver accidents

A new study reveals that New Mexico has the highest crash rate for delivery drivers.

The study, conducted by Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyers H&P Law, used the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the number of crashes involving a delivery vehicle in 2022 and compared it to the number of delivery drivers employed in each state. Researchers calculated the rate of crashes per 10,000 delivery drivers in each state to determine the ranking.

Table: States with the highest rate of delivery driver crashes

New Mexico has the highest crash rate at 163 per 10,000 delivery drivers, making it the most hazardous in the US, at over three times the national average of 46. By contrast, Nebraska, with the fifth-highest rate, employs 230 more drivers but experiences almost half the number of accidents. Two neighboring states, Oklahoma and Texas, also rank in the top ten, but with much lower rates at 82 and 68 crashes per 10,000 jobs, respectively.

Wyoming has the second-highest rate of accidents at 149 crashes per 10,000 delivery drivers. Wyoming has one of the lowest employment numbers at 2,350 jobs but its on-road accident rate is triple the national average. The findings suggest a higher concentration of crash rates in this region, with two state neighbors, Nebraska and Montana, identified as having some of the highest rates nationally.

Arkansas ranks third with a rate of 87 crashes per 10,000 delivery drivers, almost double the national average. Mississippi and Oklahoma follows closely behind with similar rates at 84.7 and 82 crashes for every 10,000 drivers, respectively.

Matthew Pfau, Partner at H&P Law, commented on the findings: “Delivery drivers face significant risks on the road, particularly as they rush to meet demanding delivery schedules. The data highlights an alarming pattern with higher-than-average crash rates among US states in and around the mountain, southwest, and southeast divisions.

"Further analysis is needed on a more granular level to determine the reasons why these states experience inflated crash rates. Some potential causes include unique challenges affecting drivers when working in each state, such as less flat land, higher average temperatures, and extreme weather that can impair driving safety. Some other causes could be roads in worse condition, more rural areas with less light when driving at night, and higher chances of animals crossing lanes.”