Ranging from sprawling metropolises, such as Dallas and Atlanta, to mid-sized cities, like Baton Rouge and Cleveland, the most dangerous U.S. cities for driving are scattered across the map.

The following three indicators are the most important in determining a city’s driving danger level:

The likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident as a percentage is above the national average

The number of vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents

The percentage of accident fatalities involving alcohol

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To keep your wits about you on America’s gnarliest stretches of road, keep reading!

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Dangerous driving is a part of American life

Not to scare you, but vehicle fatalities are one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with more than 2.7 million Americans injured and more than 36,000 fatalities on U.S. roads in 2019, according to the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

There is hope for safer driving

Still, safer vehicles are rolling off the line every day, and policy changes at all levels of government are making driving safer across the board.

Over the past few decades, a slew of safety innovations and laws have made driving safer, including:

Electronic stability control

Automatic braking systems

Better airbags and collision technology

Stricter seat belt laws

Stronger laws against the use of phones while driving

While driving can still be dangerous, the number of fatalities on U.S. roads is actually down by 15% since 2005.

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The ten most dangerous cities to drive in

Whenever you drive, you take a chance (a small one) that you’ll be involved in a car accident. The following are the ten worst cities in the U.S. to drive in, so take extra caution when on the road in these places!

10. Cleveland, OH

Population: 380,989

Fatality rate: 12.3 per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 19%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 42.1%

Cleveland indeed may rock, but it’s not a great place to drive in. The Forest City has the highest car theft rate in the country!

The intersection of I-77 and I-90 in Cuyahoga County is notorious for traffic collisions—the county recorded more than 300,000 accidents in a recent three-year period

Construction zones in the Cleveland metro area don’t help, nor does the city’s terrible winter weather.

MORE:

Ohio car insurance laws

9. Cincinnati, OH

Population: 2.3 million

Fatality rate: 8.7 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 47.6%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 37.5%

Ohio’s biggest city has a big reputation for poor and dangerous driving conditions. A recent study also noted that Cincinnati drivers are statistically more likely to hard brake than drivers in most other major cities.

Surprisingly, Cincinnati has the tenth-shortest commute time in the country, despite the dangerous driving conditions.

Like its Ohio cousin, Cincinnati’s winter weather does drivers no favors in terms of safe driving.

8. Houston, TX

Population: 2.3 million

Fatality rate: 10.1 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 38.1%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 40.4%

Houston’s outdated traffic infrastructure, combined with a growing population, makes Texas’ biggest city a frightful place to drive. Overtaxed roads do nothing to help Houston’s reputation as a hotbed for dangerous driving.

A legal speed limit of 75 mph in some spots (such as the Grand Parkway) up the danger factor in Houston.

Long commutes in Houston also mean more time in the car and more chances for accidents.

Houston’s roadways were designed for the car, leaving cyclists and pedestrians little room to maneuver, hence the large number of accidents involving these two car-less groups.

7. Detroit, MI

Population: 670,052

Fatality rate: 16.1 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 22.9%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 37.1%

The Motor City might want to change its name considering how unsafe it is to drive in Detroit.

Michigan’s biggest city has long seen hard times, and its infrastructure and road conditions bear this out.

Auto theft also remains a big problem in Detroit.

Detroit’s driving conditions were so bad that Magna Seating Detroit, a major auto parts supplier, threatened to expand elsewhere because its vehicles were constantly being damaged by Highland Park roads—the municipality promised to fund more road upkeep to convince Magna to stay!

Detroit’s notoriously bad winters don’t help driving conditions.

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Michigan’s car insurance laws: everything you wanted to know (and more)

6. Fort Worth, TX

Population: 913,656

Fatality rate: 11.5 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 29.7%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 43.3%

Fort Worth, aka Dallas’ little brother, certainly has brutal driving conditions in common with its bigger neighbor. Fort Worth had the fifth-highest number of traffic accidents in Texas in 2019!

Several factors are cited as key reasons for Fort Worth’s dangerous driving conditions, including distracted driving, impaired driving, and fatigued driving.

5. Atlanta, GA

Population: 506,804

Fatality rate: 13.5 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 49.5%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 27.2%

There is plenty going on in Hot’lanta, including some of the worst driving conditions in the country! One study cited Atlanta as the fifth most aggressive driving city in the country, with its drivers 20% more aggressive than the average U.S. driver.

Atlanta’s congested roads lead to more speeding, quick acceleration, and hard braking, thus increasing the chances for accidents to occur.

Atlanta also suffers from significant road infrastructure issues, including maintenance and capacity issues, that make driving that much more dangerous.

MORE:

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4. New Orleans, LA

Population: 390,104

Fatality rate: 11.1 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 49.1%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 36.4%

New Orleans’ vibrance, culture, and party town vibes are something to behold, but driving in the Crescent City is no treat. Property crime is much higher than the national average and vehicle break-ins and accidents are common.

New Orleans is known for notoriously bad drivers, and Louisiana has some of the highest uninsured and underinsured driver rates in the country, which make dealing with traffic accidents even more of a headache.

Poor road infrastructure plague Louisiana’s biggest city, including potholes, sinkholes, and other infrastructure damage dating back to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina.

3. San Bernardino, CA

Population: 215,780

Fatality rate: 17.9 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 41.8%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 30.4%

An extension of Los Angeles traffic, the roads in neighboring San Bernardino aren’t any safer.

L.A.’s notorious traffic doesn’t stop at the county line—San Bernardino deals with similar issues, including a large population, poor quality roads, high car theft rate, and many uninsured and underinsured drivers

The 10 Freeway is regularly ranked as one of the deadliest in the country.

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2. Baton Rouge, LA

Population: 220,000

Fatality rate: 16.6 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 55.1%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 27.7%

Louisiana’s capital suffers similar issues that make it even more dangerous for drivers than New Orleans. Baton Rouge’s traffic congestion, as well as its reputation as the third-worst commute time for midsize cities in the country, make it hazardous for drivers.

Louisiana’s historically poor infrastructure doesn’t help matters at all—the state has a roughly $2.7 billion backlog for road and bridge repairs.

1. Dallas, TX

Population: 1.3 million

Fatality rate: 14.3 total fatalities per 100,000 residents

Likelihood of involvement in a traffic accident vs. national avg: 46.5%+

Traffic fatalities involving alcohol: 42.2%

Big D’s tangle of freeways, heavy traffic, and high speed limits make this city a potential death trap for drivers. The Metroplex’s roads are often clogged for between six to eight hours a day at 100% capacity!

According to Texas Department of Transportation data, the Woodall Rodgers Freeway (from Stemmons to Central Expressway) and I-30 from I-35 West to Loop 820 are the two most dangerous stretches of road in the state.

MORE:

Texas car insurance laws

Protect your car with Jerry no matter where you drive

Most of your driving life will be uneventful, but you may find yourself in a dangerous spot every now and then. Make sure to protect yourself, your vehicle, and other drivers with a robust

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