We reviewed five years of federal crash data covering every state in the country and found a gap of nearly 20 times between the worst and safest states for distracted driving. New Mexico sits at one extreme with 259 distraction related fatal crashes per 1,000 total fatal crashes, while Mississippi sits at the other with just 14. Alaska, our home state, lands firmly on the safer end of that spectrum, though distracted driving crashes still happen here, and as Anchorage car accident lawyers, we see the real world impact of these numbers firsthand.
We Looked at Every State, Not Just the Worst Offenders
At Crowson Law Group, we wanted a complete picture of distracted driving in America, not just a list of the states doing the worst. To build it, we reviewed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) covering 2020 through 2024, then compared the results against current state penalty structures.
What we found is that the country splits into two very different realities. States on one end are struggling with distraction rates that touch a quarter or more of all fatal crashes. States on the other end have gotten that number down into the low teens. Understanding both ends of that spectrum, and why they differ, tells a more complete story than either list does on its own.
The 10 States With the Worst Distracted Driving Death Rates
You can access the complete research findings here.
New Mexico topped our list with 788 distracted driving fatalities over five years and a rate of 259 per 1,000 total fatal crashes, the highest of any state we studied. Phone use accounted for 18 of those deaths, and reaching for vehicle controls caused 10 more, meaning the bulk of New Mexico's problem falls outside those two specific categories entirely. The state's first offense fine for distracted driving is just $25, the lowest penalty anywhere in our research.
Hawaii and Kansas rounded out the top three. Kansas stood out for a different reason: it recorded 67 phone related fatal crashes, the highest phone specific count in our entire worst states list, even though its overall rate placed it third rather than first.
| Rank | State | Distracted Driving Fatal Crashes (5 yrs) | Phone-Related Fatal Crashes | Vehicle Control/In-Vehicle Object Fatal Crashes | Rate per 1,000 Fatal Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | 788 | 18 | 10 | 259 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 127 | 5 | 0 | 193 |
| 3 | Kansas | 482 | 67 | 34 | 176 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 789 | 32 | 18 | 171 |
| 5 | Louisiana | 943 | 45 | 33 | 158 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 610 | 31 | 9 | 112 |
| 7 | Washington | 550 | 22 | 7 | 111 |
| 8 | Idaho | 160 | 12 | 6 | 94 |
| 9 | Illinois | 791 | 45 | 23 | 89 |
| 10 | New York | 557 | 17 | 85 | 73 |
You can access the complete research findings here.
We also noticed that Louisiana, while ranking fifth by rate, recorded the highest raw fatality count in this group at 943, along with the most eating or drinking related fatalities of any state we studied at 15. That combination suggests Louisiana's distraction problem spans multiple categories rather than concentrating in one.
The 10 States With the Most Attentive Drivers, Including Alaska
You can access the complete research findings here.
On the opposite end, Mississippi recorded the lowest distracted driving fatality rate in the country at 14 per 1,000 fatal crashes, less than a fifth of New Mexico's rate. Nevada followed close behind at 15 per 1,000, backed by a first offense fine of only $50, the lowest amount in this entire safer group.
Alaska placed 10th on this list, tied with Ohio at a rate of 27 per 1,000. Over the five years we studied, the state recorded just 13 total distracted driving fatalities, including only 1 tied to phone use and zero linked to eating or drinking behind the wheel. The remaining 4 cases involved vehicle controls or in-vehicle objects. Alaska's first offense fine runs as high as $500, among the steepest penalties in our entire research, and local drivers can face felony charges if their inattention causes injury or death.
| Rank | State | Eating/Drinking Fatal Crashes (5 yrs) | Vehicle Control/In-Vehicle Object Fatal Crashes (5 yrs) | Phone-Related Fatal Crashes (5 yrs) | Rate per 1,000 Fatal Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 2 | 9 | 22 | 14 |
| 2 | Nevada | 1 | 7 | 6 | 15 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 1 | 3 | 10 | 21 |
| 3 | Connecticut | 0 | 8 | 9 | 21 |
| 5 | Arkansas | 0 | 8 | 20 | 22 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| 7 | Georgia | 6 | 19 | 59 | 24 |
| 7 | South Carolina | 2 | 1 | 13 | 24 |
| 9 | California | 24 | 197 | 231 | 25 |
| 10 | Alaska | 0 | 4 | 1 | 27 |
You can access the complete research findings here.
The Counterintuitive Part: High Fines Don't Guarantee a Safe Ranking
If fine amounts alone determined outcomes, we'd expect the states with the toughest penalties to always land at the very top of the safest list. Our data shows that isn't the case.
Mississippi, the safest state overall, charges $100 for a first offense, a modest amount compared to Alaska's $500. Nevada, ranked second safest, charges just $50. Meanwhile, New Mexico's rock bottom $25 fine sits at the worst end of the spectrum, which does support a connection between weak penalties and worse outcomes. But Alaska's steep fines and felony exposure only earned it a 10th place finish among the safe states, not first, which tells us fine amount is one factor among several, alongside enforcement consistency, population density, and road conditions.
Rate Versus Raw Numbers Changes the Picture on Both Ends
Looking only at rate per 1,000 crashes can obscure real differences in scale. Rhode Island had just 9 total distracted driving fatalities over five years, the lowest raw count of any state in our safest group, despite a rate that placed it in a tie for 5th. California, by contrast, made the safest list by rate at 25 per 1,000, yet recorded 231 phone related fatalities and 197 involving vehicle controls, the highest raw totals in our entire dataset on either end of the spectrum. Its size and driving volume clearly shape those numbers far more than any single policy does.
What This Means for Alaska Drivers
As one of our attorneys put it when we reviewed these findings: many drivers assume it's easy to multitask, check a map, glance at the weather, or scroll social media while driving, but as an Alaska based law firm we see firsthand how much it matters for local drivers to stay focused behind the wheel. The reality is that other drivers on the road are making the same risky assumption at the same moment, and that overlap is exactly when crashes happen. Alaska's numbers show that strong penalties paired with consistent enforcement can move a state toward the safer end of this spectrum, but the data from states like New Mexico shows how quickly things can go the other way when consequences are too light to matter.
When to Talk to an Anchorage Car Accident Lawyer After a Distracted Driving Crash
Even with Alaska's relatively low numbers, distracted driving crashes still happen on our roads, and when they do, the outcomes can be severe. If you've been hurt in a crash where another driver was texting, eating, adjusting a GPS, or otherwise not paying attention, the steps you take afterward can affect your ability to recover compensation.
As Anchorage personal injury lawyers, we regularly work with clients navigating the aftermath of a distracted driving accident, including cases involving:
- Rear end collisions caused by a driver who didn't see traffic stopping ahead
- Intersection crashes where a distracted driver ran a red light or stop sign
- Crashes involving commercial drivers who were using a phone or in-vehicle device
- Pedestrian and cyclist accidents caused by inattentive motorists
Alaska's felony exposure for distraction related crashes that cause injury or death can also strengthen a personal injury or wrongful death claim, since it establishes a clear legal standard for negligence. If you or a family member has been injured in an Anchorage car accident, or anywhere else in Alaska, we encourage you to speak with one of our experienced car accident attorneys before dealing with an insurance adjuster on your own.
Our Methodology
We built this report using NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from 2020 to 2024 across all 50 states. We calculated each state's distracted driving fatal crash rate by comparing distraction related fatal crashes to total fatal crashes, then scaled findings per 1,000 drivers where relevant. We supplemented the crash data with current fine and penalty information sourced from state transportation departments and legislative records.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash caused by a distracted driver in Anchorage or anywhere else in Alaska, we encourage you to reach out to our team of Alaska personal injury lawyers at Crowson Law Group for a free consultation to discuss your legal options.
