The most dangerous driving states share a theme of high populations and deaths related to drunk driving. Some states are named multiple times on holiday lists — including Texas, California and Florida.
We compared recent road fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to find the worst times and places to drive in.
The top three deadliest states in America — Texas, California and Florida— are in a category all their own, according to road fatality data from the NHTSA.
These states faced the deaths of 3,615 drivers for Texas, 3,606 for California and 3,183 for Florida in 2019. Compare that to states with much lower road fatalities, such as Rhode Island’s 57 deaths, Alaska’s 67 deaths or Washington D.C.’s 23 deaths.
And it wasn’t just a bad year for these states. Ten years of data from 2010 to 2019 tell a similar story, with Texas at 34,784 driving fatalities, California seeing 33,223 and Florida at 27,720 deaths.
Search below to see how your state ranks.
State | 2019 fatalities | 10 years |
|---|---|---|
Texas | 3,615 | $34,784 |
California | 3,606 | $33,223 |
Florida | 3,183 | $27,720 |
Georgia | 1,491 | $13,533 |
North Carolina | 1,373 | $13,473 |
Ohio | 1,153 | $10,855 |
Tennessee | 1,135 | $10,140 |
Pennsylvania | 1,059 | $12,099 |
Illinois | 1,009 | $9,926 |
South Carolina | 1,001 | $9,115 |
Michigan | 985 | $9,644 |
Arizona | 981 | $8,867 |
New York | 931 | $10,873 |
Alabama | 930 | $9,059 |
Missouri | 880 | $8,506 |
Virginia | 831 | $7,727 |
Indiana | 809 | $8,046 |
Kentucky | 732 | $7,369 |
Louisiana | 727 | $7,344 |
Mississippi | 643 | $6,428 |
Oklahoma | 640 | $6,704 |
Colorado | 596 | $5,372 |
Wisconsin | 566 | $5,759 |
New Jersey | 559 | $5,779 |
Maryland | 521 | $5,032 |
Washington | 519 | $4,958 |
Arkansas | 505 | $5,311 |
Oregon | 489 | $4,029 |
New Mexico | 424 | $3,661 |
Kansas | 411 | $4,018 |
Minnesota | 364 | $3,828 |
Iowa | 336 | $3,461 |
Massachusetts | 334 | $3,576 |
Nevada | 304 | $2,920 |
West Virginia | 260 | $2,991 |
Connecticut | 249 | $2,736 |
Nebraska | 248 | $2,189 |
Utah | 248 | $2,529 |
Idaho | 224 | $2,132 |
Montana | 184 | $1,989 |
Maine | 157 | $1,518 |
Wyoming | 147 | $1,288 |
Delaware | 132 | $1,149 |
Hawaii | 108 | $1,080 |
South Dakota | 102 | $1,266 |
New Hampshire | 101 | $1,156 |
North Dakota | 100 | $1,271 |
Alaska | 67 | $686 |
Rhode Island | 57 | $609 |
Vermont | 47 | $619 |
District of Columbia | 23 | $244 |
One interesting phenomenon: The top three are also the most populated states with the highest number of drunk driving fatalities. In addition, all have major cities that bottleneck traffic in one location.
These facts show that states with many residents risk more accidents because, as you’d expect, there are more cars on the road. Plus, people who get behind the wheel while intoxicated pose added risk.
Highly populated Los Angeles ranks as the deadliest driving city in the US, tallying 685 deaths. Maricopa, Arizona and Harris, Texas take second and third place with 442 fatal accidents in Maricopa and 421 in Harris in 2019, according to the NHTSA.
Again, these cities are some of the most populated cities in America, so stay extra vigilant when driving in these urban areas.
Most people don’t think twice about zipping home after work or road-tripping at night. But statistics show that the riskiest driving times are between 8 pm and 10 pm, according to the NHTSA. Second to that is rush hour anytime from 5 pm to 8 pm. These times are likely when most people are commuting home or going to restaurants or stores.
When you’re not steering clear of weekday traffic, nights and weekends bring more risk with drunk drivers and low visibility, says the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. To avoid this high-risk time of day, try staying off the road from midnight to 3 a.m.
Number of fatal crashes by time of day
Crash time | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
12:00 AM | 1,221 |
1:00 AM | 1,199 |
2:00 AM | 1,141 |
3:00 AM | 869 |
4:00 AM | 785 |
5:00 AM | 1,091 |
6:00 AM | 1,257 |
7:00 AM | 1,174 |
8:00 AM | 912 |
9:00 AM | 913 |
10:00 AM | 1,030 |
11:00 AM | 1,195 |
12:00 PM | 1,327 |
1:00 PM | 1,418 |
2:00 PM | 1,570 |
3:00 PM | 1,763 |
4:00 PM | 1,707 |
5:00 PM | 1,747 |
6:00 PM | 1,910 |
7:00 PM | 1,810 |
8:00 PM | 1,904 |
9:00 PM | 1,941 |
10:00 PM | 1,611 |
11:00 PM | 1,500 |
Maryland | 521 |
Washington | 519 |
Arkansas | 505 |
Oregon | 489 |
New Mexico | 424 |
Kansas | 411 |
Minnesota | 364 |
Iowa | 336 |
Massachusetts | 334 |
Nevada | 304 |
West Virginia | 260 |
Connecticut | 249 |
Nebraska | 248 |
Utah | 248 |
Idaho | 224 |
Montana | 184 |
Maine | 157 |
Wyoming | 147 |
Delaware | 132 |
Hawaii | 108 |
South Dakota | 102 |
New Hampshire | 101 |
North Dakota | 100 |
Alaska | 67 |
Rhode Island | 57 |
Vermont | 47 |
District of Columbia | 23 |
Celebrations and holidays lead to more accidents and drunk driving. While New Year’s might be your first guess, July 4th is the deadliest holiday on the road, according to NHTSA data.
You guessed it: California. Being one of the biggest deadliest driving states, Texas holds the highest number of deaths for New Year’s, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas — and is in the top three for Memorial Day.
Texas has the highest rates for Memorial Day.
The most deadly car accidents happen in cities where roads get crowded and during holidays when drunk driving persists. But no matter where you live, you can prepare for the worst and hope for the best by getting insurance protection before getting on the road.
Richard Laycock, Insights editor and senior content marketing manager
