An open road is not a personal racetrack, but some seem to think differently. Road races are taking place at unprecedented speed in these top ten states.
The odds for road races are increasing. Last year, the coronavirus pandemic provided the perfect opportunity for speed racing enthusiasts to spend time at home repairing and modifying their cars, according to a 2021 Associated Press News report. Coupled with reduced traffic on public roads, the road race exploded across the country. The same report found that road racing complaints skyrocketed in several cities in 2020, with some police departments registering five times as many complaints as in the same period in 2019.
Although the pandemic shutdowns have peaked as cities fully reopen to the public, road racing remains a growing problem in 2021. Officials across the country continue to grapple with the rising number of complaints and even deaths resulting from this street racing boom. State officials are advocating new laws, including tougher penalties for culpable motorists and increased law enforcement patrols on both highways and city streets, to combat this surge in road racing.
While this surge has made national headlines in high-speed racing, there are certain states where this phenomenon is more common – and more dangerous. To find out which states have the largest number of road racers in the country, Insurify's data scientists used their database of over 4 million car insurance claims.
Insights
- National average. In the United States, the average number of drivers with a road racing violation per state is 6.41 per 100,000 drivers. In the case of reckless driving violations, the average number of culpable drivers is 140.80 per 100,000 drivers. The penalty for road racing violation varies widely from state to state. However, in the ten states with the highest number of road racers in 2021, offenders can choose between $ 20 to $ 2,500, in addition to serving a prison term and being deprived of their license for up to one year.
- Road racing is on the rise, but overall even less common. While road racing violations have increased significantly in the past year, road racing remains a comparatively rarer traffic offense. Drivers are reprimanded much more often for quotes such as accidents at fault, speeding and DUIs than for road races. These three violations are more common than 99 percent more common than state-level road races.
- Road racing and reckless driving are significantly correlated. Insurify's data scientists implemented a Pearson correlation test to study the prevalence of street racing and reckless driving in the United States. They found that nationwide rates of road racing and reckless driving had a significant, positive correlation, suggesting that states with higher levels of reckless driving were more likely to have higher levels of road racing (R = 0.28, p <0 , 05). Police officers sometimes cite reckless drivers with additional, more specific charges for violations such as speeding, DUIs, or even street racing, which is a possible explanation for this correlation.
methodology
The data scientists at Insurify, and Car insurance comparison Platform, referred to their database of over 4 million auto insurance claims to identify the states with the highest number of road racers. When applying for car insurance, users provide their state of residence and driving history, including any violations in their records. Insurify analysts compared the number of drivers who reported at least one road racing violation on their records in the past year with the total number of drivers in each state. The ten states with the highest proportions of drivers with road racing citations were identified as the states with the most road racers in 2021. The nationwide reckless driving quotas for the past year were also determined from the Insurify database using the same method.
State road racing penalties were derived from country-specific government and legal resources.
Top 10 states with the most street racers (2021)
1. North Dakota – 85% more road race violations than average
2. Idaho – 78% more road race violations than average
3. Wyoming – 78% more road race violations than average
4th Oregon – 75% more road race violations than average
5. Hawaii – 70% more road race violations than average
6th Arkansas – 56% more road race violations than average
7th Iowa – 52% more road race violations than average
8th. Wisconsin – 42% more road race violations than average
9. Tennessee – 38% more road race violations than average
10. Virginia – 27% more road race violations than average
States with the most street racers, 2021
10. Virginia
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 8.73 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: up to $ 2,500, imprisonment up to 1 year, 6 months driving license disqualification
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 559.83 per 100,000 drivers
Drivers in The Old Dominion have the 10th highest rate of road race violations in the country. Virginia drivers are cited 27 percent more often than the average driver for participating in illegal road races. Not only do Virginia drivers have an unprecedented need for speed, their rate of reckless driving also exceeds the national average. However, the penalties for illegal drag racing in Virginia are pretty serious, especially when compared to many other states on the rankings.
9. Tennessee
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 10.19 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: up to $ 500, up to 6 months in prison, probationary period, legal costs, license revocation for at least 1 year (partially or all)
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 151.59 per 100,000 drivers
Drivers should be careful on the roads in their mountain home in Tennessee, as Tennessee drivers are the ninth most popular road race in the country. State volunteer drivers compete in road races at a rate that exceeds the national average by 38 percent. Like many of the states in the top 10, their reckless driving rate is also above average. The officials do not just let these dangerous drivers get away with it; Not only do road racers in Tennessee have to pay up to $ 500, but they also risk their license revoked for at least a year, parole, or even jail.
8. Wisconsin
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 11.03 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: between $ 20 and $ 400
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 131.28 per 100,000 drivers
Some Wisconsinites won't slow down for anyone in 2021: Wisconsin drivers are 42 percent more likely to be convicted of illegal road racing than the national average. While Wisconsin has the eighth highest statewide road racing rate in the country, it's comparatively less punitive to first-time offenders than many other states in the rankings. A road racer from Wisconsin can pay 84 percent fewer fines than one in Virginia or Arkansas, where fines can reach $ 2,500.
7. Iowa
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 13.12 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: between $ 65 and $ 625, up to 30 days in prison, license revocation
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 84.33 per 100,000 drivers
Hawkeye State has the seventh highest rate of road racing in the nation. In fact, Iowans are cited 52 percent more than the national average for illegal road racing, despite having below average reckless driving rates overall. Iowa street racing law violations can result in fines of up to $ 625 and even a possible jail sentence. Iowa takes road racing very seriously; it is not only a moving offense, but also an offense.
6. Arkansas
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 14.43 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: up to $ 2,500, up to a year in jail
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 83.54 per 100,000 drivers
Arkansas drivers are 2.25 times more likely to participate in road racing than the average driver, placing Natural State sixth in the country for the highest rate of road racing. Surprisingly, Arkansas & # 39; s reckless quotation driving is significantly lower than the national average. The fines for violent racers in Arkansas are quite heavy, up to $ 2,500. While Arkansas has a higher than average rate of road racing, the state takes this injury very seriously.
5. Hawaii
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 21.00 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: up to $ 500, up to six months in prison
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 20.84 per 100,000 drivers
For some Hawaiian drivers, island time doesn't always go slower. With 70 percent more road racing drivers than the average, Hawaii's driving population has the fifth highest rate of road racing in the country. Interestingly, Hawaii's reckless driving is much lower than the national average. In Hawaii, road racing is not just a touching violation; it is considered an offense and violations can be punished with imprisonment.
4. Oregon
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 25.09 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: $ 435
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 152.73 per 100,000 drivers
Oregon has the fourth highest road racing rate in the United States in 2021. Beaver State is home to drivers who are cited for road racing 75 percent more often than the average American driver. The US $ 435 penalty for drivers from Oregon for participating in an illegal drag race is not cheap, but is comparatively less punishable than in other states.
3. Wyoming
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 28.18 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: $ 210
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 223.21 per 100,000 drivers
Illegal street races in Wyoming are 78 percent more common than the average. Likewise, the reckless driving speed in Wyoming is well above average. Some may know the streets of Cowboy State from Discovery's Street Races: Outlaws in America, a reality program that documents street races on Casper Highways. While the races on the show are technically legal, with officials temporarily closing the public roads for their tracks, it's clear that Wyoming has obviously made a name for itself illegally in the American street racing scene as well.
2. Idaho
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 29.08 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: up to $ 1,000, up to 10 six months in jail, a fine of $ 1,000, and four points for the driver's license
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 182.62 per 100,000 drivers
In Idaho, drivers are illegally driving road races at a rate 78 percent above the national average. While reckless driving is the national average in Gem State, Idaho lawmakers take dangerous drivers on board, at least when it comes to road racing. If drivers are caught, they can pay up to $ 1000 in fines, accumulate four points on their records, and even serve a prison term.
1. North Dakota
- Drivers with a Road Racing Violation: 41.42 per 100,000 drivers
- Street Race Penalty: $ 100
- Driver with a reckless driving violation: 409.84 per 100,000 drivers
In 2021, North Dakota will have the largest number of road racers in the nation. In fact, North Dakota lands in first place by far: North Dakotans are 85 percent more likely to be cited for road races than the national average, which is a significant jump from Idaho road races (which ranks second nationwide). . Not only are drivers at Roughrider State quick, they're ruthless, with reckless driving violations well above the national average. The penalty for road racing in North Dakota is relatively low, although complaints about road racing in cities like Grand Forks have increased significantly over the past year. North Dakota could benefit from emulating other U.S. cities like Los Angeles and New York to establish a road racing-specific task force and tougher penalty laws to curb this dangerous behavior.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, or would like to request the data, please contact Insights@insurify.com.
