Republican-leaning states are often colored red during elections. It turns out that the color also applies to the regrettable fact that these states are prone to traffic fatalities.

A study of auto accidents revealed that the 10 states with the highest rates of traffic-related deaths all voted for Mitt Romney.

The worst state was Wyoming, which averaged 27.46 fatalities per 100,000 people, followed by Mississippi (21.58), Arkansas (19.27), Montana (19.07), Alabama (18.01), Oklahoma (17.76), Kentucky (17.49), South Carolina (17.47), South Dakota (17.15) and West Virginia (16.99).

On the flip side, the lowest auto-related death rate was in the District of Columbia (3.97), which heavily favors the Democratic Party. Following DC were the pro-Obama states of Massachusetts (4.79), New York (6.19), Rhode Island (6.27), New Jersey (6.32), Washington (6.79), Illinois (7.22), California (7.27) and Minnesota (7.74).

The only Republican state to finish in bottom 10 was Alaska (7.84).

So why are red states more dangerous than blue states when it comes to car accidents?

Stuart Silverstein at Fair Warning wrote: “Some observers offered the possible explanation that blue states tend to adopt stronger safety laws, while red states opt for looser regulation, presumably leading to more fatalities.”

But, Silverstein added, “the sweeping generalization doesn’t hold up under scrutiny,” noting that both red and blue states have adopted seat-belt laws for motorists. Also, examples can be found of blue states being less aggressive on safety laws (Michigan this year repealed its motorcycle helmet law), while many red states have adopted tougher rules regarding helmets for riders. Another proposed explanation is that Republican-leaning states are more rural, so their citizens tend to drive more miles.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Traffic Deaths: A Surprising Dimension of the Red State-Blue State Divide (by Stuart Silverstein, Fair Warning)