>>1836116>>1836119DUIs are a component but don't neatly explain the Deep South being just as bad if not worse than several of the heavy-drinking.
It's mostly just population density. Rural roads are statically the worst for fatal accidents. Speeds are high, road conditions are frequently mediocre, collisions with wildlife are common, intersections between high and low speed traffic usually have no protection, and EMS response times are terrible. And, of course, rural people just spend more time driving which means more opportunities for accidents.
