These Are The Most Dangerous Cities for Driving in the U.S.

Lee June 30, 2021June 30, 2021

In everyday life, driving is one of the most frequent activities, but it is also one of the most dangerous. Each year, millions are involved in car accidents and many are hurt or even killed. In fact, 2.7 million people were injured in car accidents in 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, around 36,000 people were killed. These numbers make car accidents one of the leading causes of death.

Lockdowns during COVID-19 helped push fatality numbers to record lows, but data suggests that we will see a rise in deaths and car accidents. The NHTSA reports that miles traveled fell more than 14% in early 2020 until the fall, but deaths increased nearly 5%.

Over the past few decades, improved vehicle safety and traffic laws have contributed to a sharp decrease in car accident fatalities. Automated braking systems, collision technology, improved air bags and other safety improvements have made vehicles safer. Overall, there’s been a decrease of more than 15% deaths since 2005.

However, efforts to strengthen safety legislation have not been uniform across states. This has limited the progress states have achieved in decreasing car accident deaths. Drunk-driving laws is a good example where penalties vary by state.A drunk driver was involved in nearly 10,000 fatal accidents in 2019, accounting for 30% of all deaths.

Another trending topic that has contributed to more accidents is that fewer people are flying. Instead, families and people looking for a vacation have gone on road trips in RVs. Usually, while RVing, you’re traveling on more rural roads. Another element that contributes to road safety. Rural roads, for example, are smaller and less well-lit than in the city. This makes driving more dangerous.

Outdoorsy researchers recently developed a composite score of road safety indicators to determine the cities with the greatest and lowest risks. Their index helps determine the city’s accident likelihood relative to what the U.S. average is, the total car accident fatalities per 100,000 people, and the percentage of accidents from drunk driving.

The Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities for Driving

With a population of over 1.3 million, Dallas has a high traffic fatality rate with more than 14 fatal car accidents per 100,000 residents each year. You’re 46% more likely to get into an accident in the Dallas area than anywhere else in the United States. With numbers like that, a Dallas car accident attorney probably has a lot of clientele.

Dallas, TV – 88.48
Baton Rouge, LA – 85.60
San Bernardino, CA – 83.02
New Orleans, LA – 80.84
Atlanta, GA – 77.90
Fort Worth, TX – 77.84
Detroit, MI – 76.78
Houston, TX – 76.20
Cincinnati, OH – 75.52
Cleveland, OH – 73.04

* Ranked by Outdoorsy’s Composite Index

Top 10 Safest Cities for Driving

When it comes to the safest cities to drive in, Cary, North Carolina tops the list. Just 1.8 fatalities take place per 100,000 residents. The Outdoorsy Composite Index is just 4.54.