By Rachel Baldauf
Robeson and Columbus counties are among the top 10 most dangerous counties in the United States for drivers, according to a new analysis.
Robeson ranked third and Columbus ranked sixth in the study, which looked at the number of traffic deaths per 10,000 people between 2018 and 2021. Robeson County saw 263 traffic deaths during that time, the most out of any of the counties listed in the top 10. Columbus County saw 107 traffic deaths.
The study, which was conducted by Florida-based personal injury law firm Anidjar & Levine, used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It focused on counties with 50,000 or more residents.
Apache County in Arizona topped the list, followed by Orangeburg County in South Carolina.
“There are many reasons as to why car crashes happen, whether that be the fault of an individual or weather conditions. Ultimately, this analysis demonstrates that it is essential to take road safety seriously and drive carefully,” a spokesperson for Anidjar & Levine said in a press release.
Traffic safety has long been an issue in Robeson and Columbus counties, where the rural landscape includes poorly lit two-lane roads. Robeson County has ranked the worst in North Carolina for traffic safety for the past 20 years, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. Columbus has ranked in the top 10 for worst traffic safety since 2019.
Drivers in rural North Carolina speed and drive without seatbelts at higher rates than the rest of the state, said NCDOT spokesperson Andrew Barksdale. From 2019 to 2021, 42.3% of fatal crashes in Robeson County involved people not wearing seat belts, compared with 31.4% statewide. About 30% of drivers in fatal crashes in Robeson County were speeding at the time, compared with 24% statewide.
In 2018, Robeson County assembled a task force of community leaders to brainstorm solutions to the county’s traffic safety problems. Since then, Robeson County Vision Zero has organized roundtable discussions with residents, created a marketing campaign encouraging drivers to buckle up and advocated for the relaunch of a seat belt safety course.
In January, the group met to begin developing a comprehensive safety action plan that seeks to reduce traffic deaths and raise awareness. Their next meeting is on May 9 at UNC Pembroke.
“We welcome a fresh look at the crashes taking place in our county, and what strategies and safety projects we should pursue to save more lives,” Grady Hunt, the group’s chairman, said in a statement.
Here are the study’s top 10 most dangerous counties in the country for drivers:
- Apache, Arizona – 23.48 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- Orangeburg, South Carolina – 23.03 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- Robeson, North Carolina – 22.57 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- Gila, Arizona – 21.96 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- Putnam, Florida – 21.14 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- Columbus, North Carolina – 21.14 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- McKinley, New Mexico – 20.85 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- Navajo, Arizona – 19.96 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- Laurens, South Carolina – 18.95 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
- Walton, Florida – 17.53 car crash fatalities per 10,000 people
