The Fourth of July is a day that most of us look forward to spending with our families, whether we hit the road or dig in for a day of barbecuing, adult beverages, and fun at home. However, according to ASecureLife.com, Independence Day is also notorious for being a one of the most dangerous days of the year in terms of traffic accidents and wildfires being started. In fact, according to the research and communications specialist’s recent report on the Most Dangerous States for the Fourth of July, there are more traffic fatalities and fire reports that any other day of the year.

 

Where does Massachusetts rank? Well, we’re not the safest state, but we are far from the most dangerous, according to the report. Massachusetts is ranked the 5th safest of the 51 states.

 

The safest state, according to the report is Connecticut, while the most dangerous state is Oklahoma. Statistics show that Oklahoma has a high wildfire risk - about 1,700 acres per 100,000 burned in 2018. The state also has a high rate of traffic deaths for Independence Day weekend. There were about 2.5 highway deaths per million residents.

 

The safest & most dangerous states:

Used by permission: ASecureLife.com
Used by permission: ASecureLife.com
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Here is full list of state rankings from safest to most dangerous:

  1. Connecticut
  2. New York
  3. New Jersey
  4. Rhode Island
  5. Massachusetts
  6. Minnesota
  7. North Dakota
  8. Virginia
  9. Maryland
  10. Illinois
  11. Michigan
  12. Vermont
  13. District of Columbia
  14. Delaware
  15. Ohio
  16. Hawaii
  17. Pennsylvania
  18. Wisconsin
  19. Alaska
  20. Nebraska
  21. Iowa
  22. Indiana
  23. North Carolina
  24. Arizona
  25. New Hampshire
  26. Tennessee
  27. Arkansas
  28. Georgia
  29. Utah
  30. Colorado
  31. Kentucky
  32. Louisiana
  33. Maine
  34. Kansas
  35. Alabama
  36. Texas
  37. South Dakota
  38. Washington
  39. Missouri
  40. Florida
  41. Nevada
  42. South Carolina
  43. Wyoming
  44. Montana
  45. New Mexico
  46. Idaho
  47. West Virginia
  48. California
  49. Mississippi
  50. Oregon
  51. Oklahoma

 

The probability of a wildfire in Massachusetts is much lower than most other states, so to be practical, we’ll focus on safe driving. The report says you should plan ahead and limit driving time, avoid late night driving, wear your seat belt, be aware of other driver’s mistakes, keep a safe distance from other cars, approach intersections with caution, and most of all – DON’T drive after drinking!

 

See the full report HERE.

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