Updated 3-4-16 to correct the number of actual deaths.

Picayune has been listed as being the tenth safest city to drive in Mississippi, according to a study by Consumer Affairs.
The study lists the number of deaths associated with traffic accidents in three categories; distracted driving, speeding and DUIs. The data comes from National Highway Traffic Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System information from 2014.
According to the data, Picayune had 129.73 distracted driving related deaths that year when calculated as a city with a population of 100,000, combined with 27.8 deaths associated with speeding and 21.13 deaths associated with drunk or impaired driving. The data is misleading however, since the data accounts for populations of cities with 100,000 people, Picayune’s numbers are skewed. Picayune’s population was last recorded to be about 10,792, putting the actual total number of traffic related deaths at 17.
All subsequent numbers also account for populations of 100,000.
Distracted driving involves the use of cell phones, the radio or some other electronic device while operating a motor vehicle.
The national average was listed as 6.08 deaths for distracted driving, 4.08 deaths related to speeding and 4.08 deaths related to drunk or impaired driving.
By comparison, Biloxi topped the list for having the fewest number of deaths associated with driving, having only 15.55 driving fatalities associated with distracted driving, and 2.22 deaths related to speeding. Statistics related to the number of DUI fatalities in Biloxi was unavailable.
The total number of traffic related fatalities in Picayune for 2014 was 157.52, according to the study.
However, every other city on the top ten list had a total number of deaths significantly lower than Picayune’s, with Meridian reporting 29.36, Jackson reporting 22.62, Vicksburg reporting 21.31, Pascagoula reporting 20.01, Ridgeland reporting 12.24, Gautier reporting 10.8, Natchez reporting 19.42 and Florence reporting 23.2 deaths. DUI fatality statistics were also unavailable for Vicksburg, Pascagoula and Gautier, the study states.