The Most and Least Dangerous States To Drive

By Grant Suneson Updated Dec 21, 9:21AM EST · Published Dec 21, 8:10AM EST

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The Most and Least Dangerous States To Drive — © benedek / iStock via Getty Images

Every year, tens of thousands of Americans are killed in car accidents. Auto crashes are one of the leading causes of non-natural death in the United States, and the #1 killer of Americans 1-54 years old.

While there are a multitude of ways drivers can keep themselves safe, geographical location can be an important factor in auto safety. Bad weather, poorly maintained roads, and local safety laws play a big factor in car safety. The most dangerous states to drive in the country have auto fatality rates that are many times higher than the safest states. (Fatigue can contribute to crashes. This is the city with the longest commute in every state.)

To determine the deadliest states to drive, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the fatality rate — the number of fatalities per 100,000 licensed drivers — for each state using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

When ranking the deadliest states to drive, some regional trends emerge. Seven of the 10 states with the highest auto fatality rates are located in the South. Six of the 10 safest states are located in the Northeast, and all nine northeastern states have among the lowest auto fatality rates. States in the West and Midwest have a wide variation in fatality rates, with states from each region ranking among the safest and deadliest to drive.

Dangerous roads are not just an American issue, as more than 1 million people are killed on roadways around the world annually. In fact, the U.S. does not even rank among the 50 most dangerous countries for drivers. These are the countries with the most dangerous roads.

Click here to see the deadliest states to drive.

50. Massachusetts
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 6.94 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 343

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49. New York
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 8.58 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,046

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48. Rhode Island
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 9.16 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 67

47. Hawaii
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 9.22 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 85

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46. New Jersey
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 9.37 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 584

44. Minnesota
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 9.63 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 394

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44. Washington
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 9.63 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 560

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43. New Hampshire
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 9.81 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 104

42. Connecticut
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 11.76 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 295

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41. Alaska
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 12.33 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 64

40. Pennsylvania
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 12.64 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,129

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39. Maryland
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 12.73 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 567

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38. Utah
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 12.84 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 276

37. Vermont
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 13.45 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 62

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36. Delaware
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 13.99 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 116

35. Wisconsin
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 14.23 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 614

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34. California
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 14.25 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 3,847

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33. Virginia
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 14.38 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 850

32. Colorado
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 14.47 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 622

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31. Illinois
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 14.52 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,194

30. Iowa
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 14.85 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 337

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29. Ohio
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 15.18 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,230

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28. Nevada
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 15.42 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 317

27. Michigan
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 15.43 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,084

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26. Maine
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 15.65 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 164

25. Nebraska
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 16.19 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 233

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24. Idaho
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 16.65 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 214

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23. Oregon
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 17.25 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 508

21. Arizona
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 18.55 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,054

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21. North Dakota
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 18.55 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 100

20. Indiana
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 19.79 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 897

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19. North Carolina
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 20.14 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,538

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18. Florida
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 21.20 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 3,331

17. Kansas
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 21.25 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 426

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16. South Dakota
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 21.43 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 141

15. Texas
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 21.93 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 3,874

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14. Georgia
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 22.12 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,664

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13. Alabama
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 23.10 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 934

12. Missouri
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 23.17 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 987

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10. Louisiana
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 24.23 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 828

10. West Virginia
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 24.23 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 267

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9. Tennessee
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 24.95 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,217

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8. Oklahoma
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 25.56 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 652

7. Montana
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 25.76 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 213

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6. Kentucky
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 26.84 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 780

5. New Mexico
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 27.02 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 398

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4. South Carolina
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 27.24 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 1,064

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3. Arkansas
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 29.62 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 638

2. Wyoming
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 29.73 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 127

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1. Mississippi
> Auto fatality rate, 2020: 37.28 per 100,000 licensed drivers
> Total auto fatalities, 2020: 752

About the Author Grant Suneson →

Grant Suneson is a senior editor at 24/7 Wall St. He was previously a digital content creator at Newsy and a reporter at NPR member station KBIA, where he contributed to their Edward R. Murrow Award-winning coverage. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism.

Grant’s work has been published and referenced in many major outlets such as MSN, USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Detroit Free Press, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Austin American-Statesman, The Tennessean, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Indianapolis Star, The Clarion-Ledger, WSB-TV, Des Moines Register, Asbury Park Press, KMGH-TV, and many others.