Iowa Has Some of the Worst School Crash Zone Rates in the US

Some concerning new data regarding car accidents in school zones was released this week, and shows that Iowa is one of the worst states in the country when it comes to collisions in those restricted areas.

Injury lawyers at Bader Scott created a ranking of states with the worst percentage of school zone car accidents by analyzing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data. These crashes include pedestrians and cyclists involved in motor vehicle crashes in school zones between 2014 and 2021.

Before we get to Iowa in particular, Bader Scott's study revealed that Wyoming has the highest percentage of pedestrians and cyclists involved in crashes in school zones. The total number of pedestrians/cyclists involved in fatal crashes in Wyoming was 68. That percentage rounded out to 2.94%, which leads the nation.

Following Wyoming is Connecticut, the second most dangerous state for pedestrians and cyclists when it comes to operating in school zones. 11 pedestrians and one cyclist were involved in fatal crashes in school zones.

Finally, at #3 on Bader Scott's ranking, is Iowa, with the third highest percentage of crashes in school zones:

The state with the third highest percentage of crashes involving both pedestrians and cyclists is Iowa, at 2.25%. Iowa has witnessed five pedestrians and one cyclist be fatally injured as a result of a collision in a school zone. - per Bader Scott's ranking

Comparatively, Wisconsin and Illinois fare significantly better than Iowa, with Wisconsin having a 0.58% crash rate in school zones and Illinois having a 0.57% crash rate in school zones.

A spokesperson from Bader Scott also commented on the findings:

This study is a clear indication of the most dangerous states in the US for pedestrians and cyclists in school zones, and for many families, it might be shocking to see that whether you live in a highly populated state like New York or one of the least populated states like Wyoming, the number of people in the state is irrelevant when it comes to fatalities in school areas.  

 

The findings suggest that it is more dangerous for both pedestrians and cyclists in any of the top ten states when travelling through a school zone, which is why they must take extra caution, especially if they have small children who might not be paying attention to the roads. - per Bader Scott's rankings

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Several states actually came out with a 0.00% school zone crash rating, including Arkansas, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Washington.