Congested traffic makes its way along the freeway to Austin, Texas
Health

Most dangerous states to drive in

Written by:
Katherine Gallagher
Cu Fleshman
February 21, 2023
Updated on June 11, 2024
Jjay69 // Shutterstock

Most dangerous states to drive in

Driving is dangerous—perhaps even the most dangerous thing most Americans do in their everyday lives. Behind the wheel of a hunk of metal and plastic weighing an average of more than 2 tons, drivers aren't just risking their own lives and those of their passengers but of everyone else on—or near—the road as well.

The usual suspects of speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence continue to put Americans at risk on highways and roads, although accident fatality rates have begun to decline in recent years. In June 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported an estimated 8,650 deaths in the first three months of 2024, down from 8,935 deaths during the same time period in 2023. This marks the eighth consecutive quarterly decrease in traffic deaths, but NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman cautions that there's no cause for celebration yet. "We're encouraged to see traffic fatalities continue to decline, but more work must be done to reduce these preventable tragedies on our roads," she said in a statement.

The alarming death toll exists despite manufacturers continuing to add increasingly advanced safety features to cars, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Stacker used the FHWA's 2022 Highway Statistics report to rank states by fatalities per 100 million miles traveled.

Read on to discover the most dangerous states to drive in.

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#51. Rhode Island

- Fatality rate: 0.69 per 100 million miles traveled (52 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.57 per 100 million miles traveled (38 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.47 per 100 million miles traveled (13 total fatalities)

#50. Massachusetts

- Fatality rate: 0.76 per 100 million miles traveled (434 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.74 per 100 million miles traveled (400 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.08 per 100 million miles traveled (30 total fatalities)

#49. Minnesota

- Fatality rate: 0.77 per 100 million miles traveled (444 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.62 per 100 million miles traveled (206 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 0.98 per 100 million miles traveled (235 total fatalities)

#48. Wisconsin

- Fatality rate: 0.9 per 100 million miles traveled (596 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.82 per 100 million miles traveled (265 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 0.98 per 100 million miles traveled (330 total fatalities)

#47. New Jersey

- Fatality rate: 0.91 per 100 million miles traveled (685 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.87 per 100 million miles traveled (612 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.41 per 100 million miles traveled (67 total fatalities)

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#46. Utah

- Fatality rate: 0.93 per 100 million miles traveled (319 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.84 per 100 million miles traveled (206 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.15 per 100 million miles traveled (113 total fatalities)

#45. Washington DC

- Fatality rate: 0.94 per 100 million miles traveled (32 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.94 per 100 million miles traveled (32 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 0 per 100 million miles traveled (0 total fatalities)

#44. Maryland

- Fatality rate: 0.99 per 100 million miles traveled (564 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.13 per 100 million miles traveled (526 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 0.3 per 100 million miles traveled (31 total fatalities)

#43. Indiana

- Fatality rate: 0.99 per 100 million miles traveled (949 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.94 per 100 million miles traveled (379 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.03 per 100 million miles traveled (569 total fatalities)

#42. New York

- Fatality rate: 1.02 per 100 million miles traveled (1,175 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.99 per 100 million miles traveled (895 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.13 per 100 million miles traveled (278 total fatalities)

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#41. Iowa

- Fatality rate: 1.03 per 100 million miles traveled (338 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.77 per 100 million miles traveled (100 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.2 per 100 million miles traveled (236 total fatalities)

#40. Vermont

- Fatality rate: 1.07 per 100 million miles traveled (76 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.58 per 100 million miles traveled (12 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.26 per 100 million miles traveled (64 total fatalities)

#39. North Dakota

- Fatality rate: 1.07 per 100 million miles traveled (98 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.55 per 100 million miles traveled (16 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.3 per 100 million miles traveled (82 total fatalities)

#38. New Hampshire

- Fatality rate: 1.1 per 100 million miles traveled (146 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.89 per 100 million miles traveled (69 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.4 per 100 million miles traveled (77 total fatalities)

#37. Idaho

- Fatality rate: 1.12 per 100 million miles traveled (215 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.63 per 100 million miles traveled (51 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.48 per 100 million miles traveled (164 total fatalities)

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#36. Hawaii

- Fatality rate: 1.13 per 100 million miles traveled (116 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.19 per 100 million miles traveled (101 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 0.77 per 100 million miles traveled (14 total fatalities)

#35. Ohio

- Fatality rate: 1.15 per 100 million miles traveled (1,275 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.94 per 100 million miles traveled (721 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.61 per 100 million miles traveled (546 total fatalities)

#34. Nebraska

- Fatality rate: 1.15 per 100 million miles traveled (244 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.99 per 100 million miles traveled (95 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.28 per 100 million miles traveled (149 total fatalities)

#33. Michigan

- Fatality rate: 1.17 per 100 million miles traveled (1,124 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.05 per 100 million miles traveled (689 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.39 per 100 million miles traveled (423 total fatalities)

#32. Pennsylvania

- Fatality rate: 1.18 per 100 million miles traveled (1,179 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.02 per 100 million miles traveled (689 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.5 per 100 million miles traveled (487 total fatalities)

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#31. Connecticut

- Fatality rate: 1.21 per 100 million miles traveled (359 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.17 per 100 million miles traveled (313 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.4 per 100 million miles traveled (42 total fatalities)

#30. Illinois

- Fatality rate: 1.22 per 100 million miles traveled (1,268 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.11 per 100 million miles traveled (871 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.55 per 100 million miles traveled (388 total fatalities)

#29. Virginia

- Fatality rate: 1.23 per 100 million miles traveled (1,008 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.93 per 100 million miles traveled (491 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.76 per 100 million miles traveled (511 total fatalities)

#28. Maine

- Fatality rate: 1.24 per 100 million miles traveled (182 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.6 per 100 million miles traveled (27 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.51 per 100 million miles traveled (153 total fatalities)

#27. Washington

- Fatality rate: 1.25 per 100 million miles traveled (733 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.05 per 100 million miles traveled (434 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.73 per 100 million miles traveled (293 total fatalities)

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#26. Kansas

- Fatality rate: 1.31 per 100 million miles traveled (410 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.01 per 100 million miles traveled (164 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.62 per 100 million miles traveled (245 total fatalities)

#25. Missouri

- Fatality rate: 1.33 per 100 million miles traveled (1,057 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.12 per 100 million miles traveled (482 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.4 per 100 million miles traveled (509 total fatalities)

#24. South Dakota

- Fatality rate: 1.35 per 100 million miles traveled (137 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.92 per 100 million miles traveled (28 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.53 per 100 million miles traveled (109 total fatalities)

#23. North Carolina

- Fatality rate: 1.37 per 100 million miles traveled (1,630 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.85 per 100 million miles traveled (664 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 2.35 per 100 million miles traveled (965 total fatalities)

#22. Alabama

- Fatality rate: 1.38 per 100 million miles traveled (988 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.03 per 100 million miles traveled (438 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.88 per 100 million miles traveled (548 total fatalities)

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#21. Georgia

- Fatality rate: 1.39 per 100 million miles traveled (1,797 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.36 per 100 million miles traveled (1,159 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.46 per 100 million miles traveled (637 total fatalities)

#20. California

- Fatality rate: 1.4 per 100 million miles traveled (4,428 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.28 per 100 million miles traveled (3,252 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.93 per 100 million miles traveled (1,166 total fatalities)

#19. Colorado

- Fatality rate: 1.42 per 100 million miles traveled (764 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.25 per 100 million miles traveled (463 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.78 per 100 million miles traveled (299 total fatalities)

#18. Wyoming

- Fatality rate: 1.44 per 100 million miles traveled (134 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 0.73 per 100 million miles traveled (19 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.67 per 100 million miles traveled (112 total fatalities)

#17. Nevada

- Fatality rate: 1.5 per 100 million miles traveled (416 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.34 per 100 million miles traveled (291 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 2.11 per 100 million miles traveled (125 total fatalities)

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#16. Alaska

- Fatality rate: 1.5 per 100 million miles traveled (82 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.33 per 100 million miles traveled (41 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.62 per 100 million miles traveled (39 total fatalities)

#15. Texas

- Fatality rate: 1.52 per 100 million miles traveled (4,408 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.29 per 100 million miles traveled (2,719 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 2.11 per 100 million miles traveled (1,676 total fatalities)

#14. Florida

- Fatality rate: 1.55 per 100 million miles traveled (3,530 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.44 per 100 million miles traveled (2,709 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 2.02 per 100 million miles traveled (809 total fatalities)

#13. Kentucky

- Fatality rate: 1.55 per 100 million miles traveled (744 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.16 per 100 million miles traveled (256 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.87 per 100 million miles traveled (487 total fatalities)

#12. Tennessee

- Fatality rate: 1.58 per 100 million miles traveled (1,314 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.38 per 100 million miles traveled (779 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.99 per 100 million miles traveled (535 total fatalities)

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#11. Montana

- Fatality rate: 1.58 per 100 million miles traveled (213 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.02 per 100 million miles traveled (43 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.8 per 100 million miles traveled (168 total fatalities)

#10. Oklahoma

- Fatality rate: 1.59 per 100 million miles traveled (710 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.27 per 100 million miles traveled (288 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.92 per 100 million miles traveled (422 total fatalities)

#9. Louisiana

- Fatality rate: 1.6 per 100 million miles traveled (906 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.39 per 100 million miles traveled (489 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.89 per 100 million miles traveled (402 total fatalities)

#8. Delaware

- Fatality rate: 1.64 per 100 million miles traveled (162 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.12 per 100 million miles traveled (81 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 3.09 per 100 million miles traveled (81 total fatalities)

#7. Oregon

- Fatality rate: 1.64 per 100 million miles traveled (601 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.27 per 100 million miles traveled (279 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 2.2 per 100 million miles traveled (322 total fatalities)

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#6. Arkansas

- Fatality rate: 1.67 per 100 million miles traveled (643 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.41 per 100 million miles traveled (283 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.93 per 100 million miles traveled (356 total fatalities)

#5. Arizona

- Fatality rate: 1.71 per 100 million miles traveled (1,302 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.46 per 100 million miles traveled (848 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 2.16 per 100 million miles traveled (386 total fatalities)

#4. West Virginia

- Fatality rate: 1.72 per 100 million miles traveled (264 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.22 per 100 million miles traveled (89 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 2.18 per 100 million miles traveled (174 total fatalities)

#3. New Mexico

- Fatality rate: 1.74 per 100 million miles traveled (466 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.88 per 100 million miles traveled (202 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.64 per 100 million miles traveled (264 total fatalities)

#2. Mississippi

- Fatality rate: 1.76 per 100 million miles traveled (703 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.23 per 100 million miles traveled (200 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 1.74 per 100 million miles traveled (412 total fatalities)

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#1. South Carolina

- Fatality rate: 1.85 per 100 million miles traveled (1,094 total fatalities)
- Urban fatality rate: 1.47 per 100 million miles traveled (479 total fatalities)
- Rural fatality rate: 2.33 per 100 million miles traveled (615 total fatalities)

Data reporting by Luke Hicks. Copy editing by Paris Close.

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