Key Takeaways
| 1 | Ranked #6 Nationally: | Missouri holds the sixth-highest fatal EV crash rate in the country at 11.17 per 100,000 registered EVs, nearly 2.4 times the national average. |
| 2 | Crashes Quadrupled by 2023: | Missouri recorded one fatal EV crash in both 2019 and 2020, then saw the count rise steadily through 2021 and 2022 before reaching four crashes in 2023, a 300% increase from the first year of the study. |
| 3 | Outpaces Six of Eight Neighbors: | Missouri’s rate of 11.17 exceeds that of six of its eight bordering states, with Illinois at 2.99, 8.18 points below, and Nebraska recording zero fatal EV crashes. Only Iowa (12.90) and Arkansas (11.76) rank higher. |
(STL.News) Missouri occupies the center of the country, a state of rivers, farmland, and mid-sized cities where electric vehicles are finding their place on roads ranging from busy interstate corridors to quiet rural routes. The state’s EV story did not begin with a dramatic spike. Instead, the numbers climbed gradually and consistently, year after year, until 2023 brought a sharp jump, cementing Missouri’s position among the nation’s highest-risk states for EV-related fatalities.
This study, conducted by Anidjar & Levine, analyzed fatal crashes via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), and EV registration figures from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, covering all 50 states from 2019 to 2023. Fatal crash rates are expressed per 100,000 registered EVs using 2022 registration figures as the base.
Missouri at a Glance: State EV Safety Profile
Missouri Fatal EV Crash Profile (2019 to 2023)
| State | Registered EVs (2022) | Fatal Crashes (2019-2023) | Avg. Annual Fatal Crashes | Rate per 100,000 EVs | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 17,900 | 10 | 2.0 | 11.17 | #6 |
| Year-by-Year Fatal EV Crashes | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Missouri Fatal EV Crashes | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Missouri Among the Top 10 Highest-Risk States
Top 10 U.S. States by Fatal EV Crash Rate per 100,000 Registered EVs (2019 to 2023)
| Rank | State | Registered EVs (2022) | Avg. Annual Fatal Crashes | Rate per 100,000 EVs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 800 | 0.2 | 25.00 |
| 2 | South Carolina | 13,500 | 1.8 | 13.33 |
| 3 | Iowa | 6,200 | 0.8 | 12.90 |
| 4 | Montana | 3,300 | 0.4 | 12.12 |
| 5 | Arkansas | 5,100 | 0.6 | 11.76 |
| 6 | Missouri | 17,900 | 2.0 | 11.17 |
| 7 | West Virginia | 1,900 | 0.2 | 10.53 |
| 8 | Louisiana | 5,900 | 0.6 | 10.17 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 4,300 | 0.4 | 9.30 |
| 10 | Alabama | 8,700 | 0.8 | 9.20 |
Missouri ranks sixth among all 50 states with a fatal EV crash rate of 11.17 per 100,000 registered EVs, part of a tightly packed top six where every state from second through sixth falls within a 2.16 rate-point band.
Missouri vs. Its Bordering States
Fatal EV Crash Rate: Missouri vs. All Bordering States (2019 to 2023)
| State | Rank | Registered EVs (2022) | Avg. Annual Fatal Crashes | Rate per 100,000 EVs | Gap vs Missouri (Rate Points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | #6 | 17,900 | 2.0 | 11.17 | — |
| Iowa | #3 | 6,200 | 0.8 | 12.90 | -1.73 |
| Arkansas | #5 | 5,100 | 0.6 | 11.76 | -0.59 |
| Kansas | #12 | 7,600 | 0.6 | 7.89 | 3.28 |
| Tennessee | #18 | 22,000 | 1.4 | 6.36 | 4.81 |
| Kentucky | #21 | 7,600 | 0.4 | 5.26 | 5.91 |
| Oklahoma | #32 | 16,300 | 0.6 | 3.68 | 7.49 |
| Illinois | #37 | 66,900 | 2.0 | 2.99 | 8.18 |
| Nebraska | #48 | 4,600 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 11.17 |
Missouri’s rate of 11.17 outpaces six of its eight bordering states, with the largest gap being 11.17 points above Nebraska (0.00) and 2.99 points above Illinois, while Illinois sits 8.18 points below. Iowa (12.90) and Arkansas (11.76) are the only two neighbors that rank higher, exceeding Missouri by 1.73 and 0.59 points, respectively.
Missouri vs. the 10 Lowest-Ranked States for Fatal EV Crashes
Fatal EV Crash Rate: Missouri vs. States Ranked 41 to 50 (2019 to 2023)
| State | Rank | Registered EVs (2022) | Avg. Annual Fatal Crashes | Rate per 100,000 EVs | Gap vs Missouri (Rate Points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | #41 | 104,100 | 2.4 | 2.31 | 8.86 |
| Michigan | #42 | 33,100 | 0.6 | 1.81 | 9.36 |
| Minnesota | #43 | 24,300 | 0.4 | 1.65 | 9.52 |
| Massachusetts | #44 | 49,400 | 0.8 | 1.62 | 9.55 |
| Hawaii | #45 | 19,800 | 0.2 | 1.01 | 10.16 |
| Alaska | #46 | 2,000 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 11.17 |
| Mississippi | #47 | 2,400 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 11.17 |
| Nebraska | #48 | 4,600 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 11.17 |
| North Dakota | #49 | 600 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 11.17 |
| South Dakota | #50 | 1,200 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 11.17 |
The 10 states ranked 41 to 50 all record fatal EV crash rates between 0.00 and 2.31 per 100,000 registered EVs, with Missouri’s rate of 11.17 sitting at least 8.86 rate points above every state in this group.
Methodology
This analysis covers five calendar years from 2019 through 2023, drawing on fatal crash records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), and electric vehicle registration counts from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC). Registration figures from 2022 are used as the base denominator because they represent the most complete and internally consistent year within the study window. The fatal crash rate for each state is calculated by dividing the average annual fatal EV crashes by the state’s 2022 registered EV count, then multiplying by 100,000. The average annual figure is the arithmetic mean of each state’s five-yearly crash totals from 2019 through 2023.
Data Sources
- Fatal Crash Data: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Crash Data Analysis Network (CDAN). https://cdan.dot.gov/query
- EV Registration Data: U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), Vehicle Registration Counts by State, 2022. https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicle-registration?year=2022
- Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AZcKQJkfJGb5beBfQQstRR7bpOR4gAvzxLsMKXg5ZcE/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- Study by: https://www.anidjarlevine.com/
About Anidjar and Levine
Anidjar and Levine is a personal injury law firm headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with offices across the state. The firm represents individuals and families in auto accidents, wrongful death, and serious personal injury cases. Understanding where and how fatal crashes are rising is central to the work they do on behalf of the people they serve.
