Study Reveals U.S. States Where Drivers Are Most Likely to Get Killed In a Police Chase

• Virginia has the highest police pursuit fatal crash rate in the U.S., with 2.76 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers.
• Alabama (2.50) and New York (1.21) rank second and third for police pursuit fatal crashes, respectively.
• Idaho registers a fatal crash rate of 0.02 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers —  lowest among all U.S. states.

A new study reveals that Virginia has the highest rate of fatal crashes involving police pursuits in the U.S.

The research by personal injury law firm Simmrin Law analyzed state data for fatal crashes involving police pursuits from 2018 to 2022 for each state via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Crash rates per 100,000 licensed drivers were calculated to identify the states with the highest number of fatal accident rates linked to police chases.

Virginia leads the nation in police pursuit fatal crashes, with 2.76 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers. That is more than seven times the national average of 0.37 crashes per 100,000 residents. From 2018 to 2022, the Old Dominion State averaged 15 fatal police pursuit crashes per year among its 543,057 licensed drivers. 2021 was the worst year with 20 crashes, while 2018 records the fewest (8).

Alabama ranks second with 2.50 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers — more than 575% higher than the national average of 0.37. From 2018 to 2022, the Yellowhammer State, home to 528,873 licensed drivers, experienced an average of 13.20 fatal police pursuit crashes annually. The state recorded the highest number of fatal accidents (18) in 2020, and the least (8 accidents) was in 2018.

New York ranks third with 1.21 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers — that’s about 227% higher than the national average of 0.37. Between 2018 and 2022, the Empire State, home to 513,838 licensed drivers, saw an average of 6.20 fatal crashes a year caused by police pursuits. 2022 documented 8  fatal crashes, while 2021 had only 4.

Looking at the study, a spokesperson at Simmrin Law commented:

“The study highlights that states such as Virginia, Alabama, and New York reported some of the highest fatal police pursuit crash rates in the U.S. 

“High-speed police chases put both officers and civilians at significant risk. These pursuits often pose a threat to innocent bystanders and other motorists. Given the prevalence of these incidents, addressing police pursuit policies requires targeted interventions.

“To reduce these preventable fatalities, state leaders and policymakers can implement enhanced training for officers, clearer pursuit protocols that limit chases to only the most serious offenses, and the integration of technology-driven solutions such as GPS tracking and helicopter support.”

North Carolina takes the fourth position with 0.99 fatal police pursuit crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, surpassing the national average of 0.37 by about 168%. With 1,374,529 licensed drivers, the Tar Heel State reported an annual average of 13.60 fatal police pursuit incidents during 2018-2022. The highest number of fatal accidents (22) was recorded in 2022, while 2018 and 2019 experienced 9 car crashes each.

Missouri ranks fifth with 0.75 crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, 103% more than the average of 0.37. The Show-Me State’s 1,968,907 licensed drivers experienced an average of 14.80 fatal police pursuit incidents yearly. 2018 was the worst year with 21 crashes, while 2020 and 2021 had 11 crashes each.

Wisconsin (6th) documented 0.68 fatal police pursuit crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, followed by Indiana (7th) at 0.63 fatal police pursuit crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, Georgia (8th) at 0.52 fatal police pursuit crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, Montana (9th) at 0.48 fatal police pursuit crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, and Massachusetts (10th) at 0.45 fatal police pursuit crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers.

Table of Extended Results:

Top 10 U.S. States with Highest Fatal Crashes Involving a Police Chase

State

Average Fatal Crashes Involving Police Pursuit (2018-2022)

Number of Licensed Drivers

Fatal Crashes Involving Police Pursuit per 100,000 Licensed Drivers

Rank

Virginia

15.00

543,057

2.76

1

Alabama

13.20

528,873

2.50

2

New York

6.20

513,838

1.21

3

North Carolina

13.60

1,374,529

0.99

4

Missouri

14.80

1,968,907

0.75

5

Wisconsin

8.00

1,177,136

0.68

6

Indiana

13.40

2,143,665

0.63

7

Georgia

34.40

6,607,016

0.52

8

Montana

3.67

766,716

0.48

9

Massachusetts

4.60

1,011,385

0.45

10

The study was conducted by Simmrin Law, an experienced personal injury law firm dedicated to protecting clients’ rights and maximizing claim value.

ENDS

P.S. If using this story, please credit and link to www.simmrinlawgroup.com.

Methodology

The research analyzed state data for fatal crashes involving police pursuits from 2018 to 2022 for each state via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Crash rates per 100,000 licensed drivers were calculated to identify the states with the highest number of fatal accident rates linked to police chases.

Data Sources

Fatal Crash Data Analysis   https://cdan.dot.gov/query 

Licensed Drivers Data  https://www.bts.gov/content/licensed-drivers 

Dataset  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/164zN4e29eplxpKTW3VfelPBPuEErxFRm8n1KhdRNUM8/edit?usp=drivesdk 

Study by  www.simmrinlawgroup.com