10 most dangerous states to drive in

June 3, 2022
Federal data crunched by a group of personal injury attorneys ranks each state by the likelihood of fatal vehicle crashes on their public roads. The research shows that states with better infrastructure tend to have safer roads.

Personal injury attorneys have their eyes on the most dangerous roads across the U.S. The 1-800-Injury national network of lawyers recently used public data to pinpoint which states have the deadliest roads by looking at vehicle-related fatalities.

The organization used state population, vehicle miles traveled, number of licensed drivers, and road fatalities to develop a Road Danger Rating for all 50 states. Most of the states to make the list of 10 most dangerous are in the South. Sparsely populated Western states round out the list. 

See also: 25 deadliest U.S. highways

The attorneys cited speeding, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and poor quality infrastructure as primary causes of fatal road crashes. The group also ranked the states with the best quality roads; Nevada, South Dakota, and North Dakota topped that list. 

Nevada's roads are rated 8.98 out of 10, according to the organization. Rhode Island’s roads are classified 0.61 out of 10, which puts the Ocean State last in the U.S. Kentucky was the only state to appear on both the Top 10 most dangerous roads and the Top 10 best quality roads list, according to 1-800-Injury. 

The attorneys used road fatality and surface condition data from the Federal Highway Administration and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Click here to see the Top 10 most dangerous states to drive in, according to 1-800-Injury’s data.

About the Author

FleetOwner Staff

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Kevin Jones, Editorial Director, Commercial Vehicle Group

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