Brian Wrote:
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> Washington State must lead the country with fatal
> railway accidents. Barely a week goes by without
> a tragedy that could have been averted by some
> common sense. Most seem to be teenagers and
> drunks!

California easily leads the nation in rail-related deaths, but it has a huge population.
On a per capita basis, California and Washington are comparable, but about in the middle of the list. Wyoming and North Dakota are far and away the worst on a per capita basis. See below: (note the fineprint / definitions at the bottom of the page)


[www.statemaster.com]


Transportation Statistics > Rail Accidents > Fatalities (per capita) (most recent - 2004) by state

Showing latest available data.
Rank States Amount
# 1 Wyoming: 0.982 per 100,000 people
# 2 North Dakota: 0.942 per 100,000 people
# 3 Montana: 0.641 per 100,000 people
# 4 New Mexico: 0.622 per 100,000 people
# 5 West Virginia: 0.55 per 100,000 people
# 6 Oklahoma: 0.536 per 100,000 people
# 7 Louisiana: 0.486 per 100,000 people
# 8 Nebraska: 0.455 per 100,000 people
# 9 Illinois: 0.431 per 100,000 people
# 10 Indiana: 0.43 per 100,000 people
# 11 Mississippi: 0.411 per 100,000 people
# 12 Texas: 0.385 per 100,000 people
# 13 Iowa: 0.371 per 100,000 people
# 14 Tennessee: 0.369 per 100,000 people
# 15 Delaware: 0.356 per 100,000 people
# 16 Alabama: 0.351 per 100,000 people
# 17 Idaho: 0.35 per 100,000 people
# 18 Missouri: 0.345 per 100,000 people
# 19 Georgia: 0.342 per 100,000 people
# 20 Minnesota: 0.331 per 100,000 people
# 21 Oregon: 0.33 per 100,000 people
# 22 Kansas: 0.328 per 100,000 people
# 23 Arkansas: 0.324 per 100,000 people
# 24 California: 0.321 per 100,000 people
# 25 Washington: 0.318 per 100,000 people
# 26 Wisconsin: 0.289 per 100,000 people
# 27 Arizona: 0.286 per 100,000 people
# 28 South Carolina: 0.282 per 100,000 people
= 29 Kentucky: 0.264 per 100,000 people
= 29 Florida: 0.264 per 100,000 people
# 31 Nevada: 0.248 per 100,000 people
# 32 North Carolina: 0.242 per 100,000 people
# 33 New Jersey: 0.241 per 100,000 people
= 34 Maine: 0.227 per 100,000 people
= 34 Ohio: 0.227 per 100,000 people
# 36 Massachusetts: 0.188 per 100,000 people
# 37 District of Columbia: 0.182 per 100,000 people
# 38 Virginia: 0.172 per 100,000 people
# 39 Pennsylvania: 0.169 per 100,000 people
# 40 Utah: 0.162 per 100,000 people
# 41 New York: 0.156 per 100,000 people
# 42 Michigan: 0.148 per 100,000 people
# 43 Maryland: 0.143 per 100,000 people
= 44 Colorado: 0.129 per 100,000 people
= 44 South Dakota: 0.129 per 100,000 people
# 46 Rhode Island: 0.093 per 100,000 people
# 47 New Hampshire: 0.076 per 100,000 people
# 48 Connecticut: 0.057 per 100,000 people
= 49 Alaska: 0 per 100,000 people
= 49 Hawaii: 0 per 100,000 people
= 49 Vermont: 0 per 100,000 people
Weighted average: 0.3 per 100,000 people



DEFINITION: Number of fatalities in rail accidents, 2004. "Accidents/Incidents" includes all events reportable to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration under applicable regulations. These include: train accidents, reported on Form F 6180.54, comprised of collisions, derailments, and other events involving the operation of on-track equipment and causing reportable damage above an established threshold ($6,700 in 2003); highway-rail grade crossing incidents, reported on Form F 6180.57, involving impact between railroad on-track equipment and highway users at crossings; and other incidents, reported on Form F 6180.55a, involving all other reportable incidents or exposures that cause a fatality or injury to any person, or an occupational illness to a railroad employee. Per capita figures expressed per 100,000 population.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Interim Railroad Safety Statistics Annual Report 2003, Washington, DC: 2004 via StateMaster