Auto Insurance
The Deadliest Roads in the U.S.
Twenty-five states have at least one of the 100 most dangerous roads in the U.S. Seventeen of these roads are in Florida, 15 are in Texas and 11 are in California. While these states appear most frequently on the list of roads where the most fatalities happened from 2015 to 2019 — the latest available data — ValuePenguin found that California roads are responsible for the largest share of deaths.
To this end, the most dangerous road in the U.S. is Interstate 5 in California, where 584 people were killed in 544 deadly crashes. State Route 49 in California topped ValuePenguin's analysis for the rate of deaths per crash, while state Route 91 led for the number of fatal crashes in which alcohol was present.
Key findings
- The most dangerous road in the U.S. is Interstate 5 in California. From 2015 to 2019, 584 people were killed in 544 fatal crashes. That means that 107.4 people were killed for every 100 fatal accidents.
- Although it ranks 84th for the number of deaths, California's state Route 49 is the most deadly road by the number of people killed per accident. For every 100 fatal crashes, 146.4 deaths occurred.
- California's state Route 91 had the highest number of fatal crashes in which alcohol was present. On state Route 91 — where traffic accidents resulted in 109 deaths — authorities documented alcohol in 42% of the fatal crashes.
- New Mexico's Interstate 25 is the worst road for driving in even the best of conditions. 89% of the fatal crashes that happened on this road occurred in clear weather. Conversely, 92% of the deadly crashes on Virginia's stretch of Interstate 81 took place in unclear or unknown conditions.
By fatalities and number of fatal crashes, California's roads are the deadliest in the country
Alcohol was present in the largest share of fatal crashes on California's state Route 91
Drivers who had been drinking were involved in 42% of the fatal crashes that took place on California's state Route 91, which spans 59 miles across the greater Los Angeles area. From 2015 to 2019, there were 36 fatal crashes where alcohol was detected. State Route 91 was the only roadway in this study where alcohol was involved in at least 4 in 10 fatal crashes.
There were 12 roads where alcohol was present in at least 30% of the fatal crashes. Behind California's state Route 91, Interstate 71 in Ohio, which cuts diagonally across the state, saw alcohol in 38% of its fatal crashes. Despite having fewer total crashes where alcohol was present, I-17 is nearly 190 miles longer than state Route 91, underscoring the dangerousness of the short California road when it comes to alcohol.
Rank | Roadway | % where alcohol present | Fatal crashes | Fatal crashes where alcohol present |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California, SR-91 | 42% | 85 | 36 |
| 2 | Ohio, I-71 | 38% | 90 | 34 |
| T3 | Illinois, I-55 | 33% | 91 | 30 |
| T3 | South Carolina, US-76 | 33% | 104 | 34 |
| T3 | Washington, I-5 | 33% | 160 | 52 |
| T6 | Colorado, I-25 | 32% | 153 | 49 |
| T6 | Maryland, I-95 | 32% | 97 | 31 |
| T6 | Colorado, I-70 | 32% | 129 | 41 |
| 9 | Louisiana, I-10 | 31% | 214 | 66 |
| T10 | California, I-15 | 30% | 273 | 83 |
| T10 | Virginia, I-64 | 30% | 112 | 34 |
| T10 | California, SR-99 | 30% | 304 | 91 |
A smaller percentage of the fatal crashes on the country's most dangerous roads had alcohol present compared to nationally. Of the 16,490 fatal car crashes on the 100 deadliest roads, alcohol was found in 22% of these. At the national level from 2015 to 2019, there were 169,009 crashes, with a 27% share where alcohol was present.
Car insurance and drunk driving: A driver's car insurance coverage does protect against damages caused by a drunk driver. However, if the insured was drunk and hit someone else, their policy will not typically offer the same protection.
The most dangerous roads for driving in bad weather conditions
The 100 most dangerous roads in the country
Methodology
ValuePenguin analyzed the National Traffic and Highway Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) records of fatal automobile accidents to determine the most dangerous roads. Researchers examined data from 2015 to 2019 — the most recently available. As single roadways traverse multiple states, ValuePenguin's study identifies the particular state along with a given roadway where traffic deaths occurred.
Researchers also found the share of fatal accidents that occurred when .001 g/dL or more alcohol (FARS' threshold for a driver's inclusion as a "drinking driver") was detected in a driver’s blood. Additionally, FARS’ measure of "clear" driving conditions is contrasted against several others, including:
- Rain
- Cloud
- Fog, smog, smoke
- Reported as unknown
- Not reported
- Snow
- Severe crosswinds
- Blowing snow
- Other
- Freezing rain or drizzle
- Sleet or hail
- Blowing sand, soil, dirt
Insurance Research Analyst
Andrew Hurst is a former SEO Marketing Research Analyst at ValuePenguin who reported on insurance. His analysis has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR Marketplace, Forbes, MSN, and USA News — among others. He's also appeared in interviews broadcast by ABC, FOX, CBS and NBC stations. He previously taught composition and research at Wright State University.
