From CNN:


Rural states, especially in the West, have the highest traffic fatality rates.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Widely dispersed populations connected by narrow two-lane highways. That's a recipe for dangerous driving, according to a simple examination of state-by-state traffic fatality counts as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More densely populated states have fewer traffic deaths per 100,000 population.

State Population Traffic Deaths Death Rate
Wyoming 500,890 165 33
Mississippi 2,883,837 871 30
Montana 912,679 262 29
South Dakota 763,827 203 27
New Mexico 1,871,064 439 23
South Carolina 4,149,481 968 23
Arkansas 2,726,380 627 23
Kentucky 4,115,611 928 23
Alabama 4,504,022 1,001 22
West Virginia 1,799,004 394 22
Missouri 5,706,964 1,232 22
Idaho 1,362,099 293 22
Tennessee 5,845,291 1,193 20
Arizona 5,601,262 1,120 20
Louisiana 4,488,721 894 20
Oklahoma 3,512,851 668 19
Florida 17,037,934 3,169 19
Georgia 8,726,467 1,603 18
North Carolina 8,440,515 1,531 18
Delaware 817,956 142 17
Kansas 2,728,091 471 17
Nebraska 1,737,143 293 17
North Dakota 630,547 105 17
Texas 22,192,367 3,675 17
Nevada 2,251,372 368 16
Maine 1,303,149 207 16
Wisconsin 5,475,649 848 15
Iowa 2,941,398 441 15
Alaska 651,277 95 15
Oregon 3,566,010 512 14
Colorado 4,597,777 632 14
Indiana 6,193,993 834 13
Utah 2,353,183 309 13
Minnesota 5,064,271 657 13
Virginia 7,389,108 943 13
Pennsylvania 12,359,106 1,577 13
Michigan 10,100,223 1,283 13
California 35,669,088 4,215 12
District of Columbia 570,383 67 12
Maryland 5,529,981 649 12
Illinois 12,681,208 1,453 11
Ohio 11,451,544 1,277 11
Vermont 620,043 69 11
Hawaii 1,259,725 135 11
New Hampshire 1,292,509 127 10
Washington 6,146,717 600 10
Rhode Island 1,079,239 104 10
New Jersey 8,668,499 747 9
Connecticut 3,484,919 294 8
New York 19,238,007 1,491 8
Massachusetts 6,462,780 462 7