Special Report

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.

Devasahayam Chandra Dhas / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

Eloi_Omella / iStock via Getty Images

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

aimintang / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

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

anouchka / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

aimintang / E+ via Getty Images

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

EunikaSopotnicka / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

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

DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images

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

Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

prospective56 / iStock via Getty Images

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

Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

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

grandriver / iStock via Getty Images

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

ErikaMitchell / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images

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

peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

Ron and Patty Thomas / iStock via Getty Images

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

peeterv / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

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

pascaluehli / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

chrisp0 / E+ via Getty Images

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

krblokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

benedek / iStock via Getty Images

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

Thinkstock / Stockbyte via Getty Images

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

smontgom65 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images

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

halbergman / E+ via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

Joecho-16 / iStock via Getty Images

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

XXLPhoto / iStock via Getty Images

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

Art Wager / E+ via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images

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

RudyBalasko / Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

digidreamgrafix / iStock via Getty Images

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

Alex Potemkin / iStock via Getty Images

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

TriggerPhoto / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

raksyBH / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

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

Thomas Northcut / DigitalVision via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

red7255 / iStock via Getty Images

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

red7255 / iStock via Getty Images

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

peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

typhoonski / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

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

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

FangXiaNuo / Getty Images

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

peeterv / Getty Images

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

peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

JerryGrugin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

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

DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad]

SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images

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

peeterv / iStock via Getty Images

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

krblokhin / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

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

[in-text-ad-2]

MichaelWarrenPix / iStock via Getty Images

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

Sponsored: Attention Savvy Investors: Speak to 3 Financial Experts – FREE

Ever wanted an extra set of eyes on an investment you’re considering? Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help guide you through the financial decisions you’re making. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.