Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Which States Have the Most Dangerous Roads?

A new analysis from 1-800-Injured ranks states for most dangerous roads according to various fatality data and assesses the best and worst quality of roads across the nation.

June 1, 2022
Which States Have the Most Dangerous Roads?

In the U.S., nearly 43,000 people died in crashes in 2021. A recent analysis evaluates states for roadway danger.

Photo: PxHere.com

3 min to read


Mississippi ranks as the state with the most deadly roads, having scored the highest overall Road Danger Rating of 9.93 in a recent analysis from 1-800-Injured.

Ad Loading...

To determine how dangerous a state’s roads are, 1-800-Injured looked at a number of factors: fatality rates per 100,000 population, per 100,000 vehicle miles traveled, per number of licensed drivers, as well as road quality. Then they crunched the numbers and combined them into a single Road Danger Rating.

Ad Loading...

Mississippi, for example, has the highest road fatality rate compared to its population, with 25.39 deaths per 100,000 people. The state also sees 18.96 road deaths for every billion vehicle miles traveled — which is the second highest of all states.

 Rank 

Size

Motor Vehicle Fatalities

Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) (Millions)

Fatality Rate per Billion VMT

1

South Carolina

1,064

53,972

19.71

2

Mississippi

752

39,665

18.96

3

Arkansas

638

33,919

18.81

4

Montana

213

12,104

17.60

5

Louisiana

828

48,374

17.12

6

Kentucky

780

46,536

16.76

7

New Mexico

398

23,756

16.75

8

West Virginia

267

16,054

16.63

9

Arizona

1,054

65,758

16.03

10

Florida

3,331

208,076

16.01


Other states that ranked among the top five for road danger include Arkansas and South Carolina, both with an overall road danger rating of 9.59, followed by Montana (9.12) and New Mexico (8.98).

In joint second place are Arkansas and South Carolina. Arkansas had the higher fatality rate compared to population at 21.19 versus South Carolina’s rate of 20.79. But South Carolina had an incredibly high rate of deaths compared to vehicle miles traveled — specifically, 19.71 as compared to Arkansas’ 18.81.

The report also assesses road quality among all states. Rhode Island is the state with the worst quality road surfaces in the country, receiving a score of just 0.61. Rhode Island has the highest percentage of its roads rated “poor” for roughness, while also having one of the highest proportions of roads with heavy cracking.

Louisiana has the second-worst quality roads in the nation. Louisiana’s roads suffer from particularly high levels of rutting, with 14.35% of roads being affected.

Ad Loading...

New York earns third place for worst road quality. The Empire State’s roads suffer from a high rate of cracking and a moderately high rate of rutting, while also having one of the largest proportions of its roads rated “poor” for roughness.

As for places with the best quality roads, Nevada takes the top spot on the 1-800-Injured list with an overall Road Quality score of 8.98. With the second-lowest percentage of roads rated “poor” for roughness, Nevada also had very low levels of heavy cracking and rutting on the state’s road system.

South Dakota and North Dakota take second and third place, respectively, for best quality roads. South Dakota earned a road quality score of 8.78. The state did very well for having hardly any road surfaces with high levels of cracking or rutting. North Dakota’s road quality score is 8.44. This is due in part to the state having the lowest levels of heavy road cracking in the entire country. 

More Safety

Motorq Whitepaper Cover - Fleet Managers Ultimate Playbook
Sponsored•October 1, 2026

Fleet Manager’s Ultimate Playbook: Navigating the New Standard in OEM Connectivity

Rising operating costs, driver safety concerns, and unplanned downtime are putting unprecedented pressure on modern fleets. Discover how fleet managers use embedded OEM connectivity and real-time vehicle data to cut TCO, prevent downtime, and protect drivers without aftermarket telematics hardware.

Read More →
An AF news recap thumbnail with a woman pointing at the title "From driver well-being to EV charging"
Safety•by Faith Howell•September 21, 2026

From Driver Well-Being to EV Charging | AF News Recap

Mental health belongs in the fleet safety conversation. This week, we’re looking at five ways fleets can support employee well-being before a crisis, plus Holman’s expansion in Mexico, new one-day Fleet Forward passes, and why EV charging demand is outpacing infrastructure growth.

Read More →
Nexar and nauto logos
Safety•by Staff•September 15, 2026

Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset

Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Two fleet employees talk beside work trucks beneath the words “Mental Health Is Fleet Safety,” highlighting the connection between employee mental health and fleet safety.
Safety•September 15, 2026

Don't Wait for a Crisis: 5 Ways to Build Mental Health Into Your Fleet Safety Program

For Suicide Prevention Month, fleet and safety leaders have an opportunity to put mental health where it belongs: at the center of workplace safety.

Read More →
hands covering toy car with digital widgets surrounding it
Safety•by Chris Brown•September 1, 2026

How Camera Data Can Strengthen a Fleet’s Insurance Renewal

Insights from a commercial insurance carrier and a broker show how fleets can turn video telematic data, driver coaching, and improved claims results into a stronger case at insurance renewal.

Read More →
An image to reflect an article on how the safest fleets aren't the ones with the most tech.
Safety•August 11, 2026

The Safest Fleets Aren’t the Ones with the Most Technology

You’ve made the telematics investment. Here’s how to capture the other half of its value and build the safest fleet on the road.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Cover of the AgileFleet white paper "Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks" with the AgileFleet logo and a photo of fleet vehicles parked outside a government building.
Sponsored•August 7, 2026

Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks

Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness

Read More →
conference attendees watching a speaker
Safety•by Staff•August 6, 2026

NETS Sets 2026 Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference for Indianapolis

The Sept. 15–17 program will feature fleet benchmarking data, case studies, emerging technologies, and implementation strategies while running alongside the NSC Safety Congress & Expo.

Read More →
NETS crash statistics overlaying an accident photo
Safety•by Chris Brown•August 5, 2026

Off-the-Job Crashes Account for 43% of Employers’ $61.7 Billion Crash Burden

NETS quantifies costs dispersed across fleet, risk, HR, and other departments while providing new per-crash benchmarks for employers.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
red ram recall image
Safety•by Faith Howell•August 3, 2026

Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue

The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.

Read More →