Sources/full res image: https://triprisk.net/pages/us-road-risk-analysis
Data were compiled using national fatal crash and volume data (FARS 2021-2023, HPMS). Only FHWA functional classes 1-6 are shown (local roads are excluded to make a cleaner visual).
The differences between states are sometimes drastic and reflect differences in road enforcement, infrastructure, laws, lighting, maintenance, etc.
Typo in title: vehicle miles not road miles
Note: there may be SMALL visual artifacts in some roads at some state boundaries because of how road segments are split. But segments are never more than a handful of miles, and the difference really does reflect state-to-state differences. Large differences between states are real, even across the same road!
Posted by jejmcjej
41 Comments
Ahh hello there Atlanta. And Florid… Wait what the hell is wrong with you, South Carolina?
This is some really beautiful data
I cannot believe how safe rural Wisconsin is. Between the drinking, the winter, and most of that central northern Wisconsin is 2 lane county highways I’d have thought it would be one of the worst places to drive.
Having driven in Florida this past fall this doesn’t surprise me at all. I have never seen such a tight density of absolutely bat shit insane drivers who all seemed to have a death wish.
A map Iowa can be proud of!
I’m surprised how this does not correlate to excessive drinking at all.
https://intoxistates.com/
Weird to be able to pick out WA State Highway 18 and know the exact red spots…. WOW!!!!
ETA there is a road off of 18 that goes south a bit that is pretty orangey red and I am sad to think it’s the “Hobart road” as we call it back home… wow! I might be wrong but i did compare it to a google map of the area…
I know South Carolina: there is no helmet law for motorcycles. And you don’t need a license for a scooter. So people with DUIs tend to just ride scooters around with no helmet.
Jesus, Mississippi is just the worst at everything, isn’t it. Except every so often, when Louisiana takes the bottom rung.
Surprised Dallas/Fort Worth isn’t darker…. We got a lot of crazy inept drivers out here
Least educated states have the highest fatalities, shocker
The title says road miles, but the scale says vehicle miles. These are different measures. Which is it?
Why such a big difference between chicago and Milwaukee?
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a map of the US that is not just Where People Live.
This is gorgeous
My poor, beloved New Mexico…you certainly have a lot of awful drivers!
This is really interesting. I would hope the factors are well understood. And I’d like to think lessons are being learned.
This map changes too abruptly between state lines, especially for cities/metros in two/three states like KC/Philly/etc. maybe the data source defines road fatalities as different things depending on state?
This is a huge success compared to the rates when NHTSA was created in the 1960’s.
Crazy how even on maps like this all the negative data is still the bible belt + a few random outliers
why is Oregon fatalities so high? Driving over homeless folk in Portland streets?
*Looks at I4 in Central Florida*
Yep. That checks out
When there is such a visible and drastic difference that perfectly follows state lines, it does call into question whether each state is collecting and calculating the data the same way. There’s no way there is something that much inherently safer about Louisiana compared to TX or Mississippi. Or Eastern Ohio compared to Western PA
I’ve been to Florida at few time the last few years. It is terrifying how bad the driving is, your head needs to be on swivel everywhere. Like even in a parking lot, you’ll be pulling out of a parking spot with the lane clear, be more than halfway out and a car will just turn down the lane see you and just continue and pull around you while you are backing up, and then beep at you lmao. On the highway people are just crossing 4 lanes of traffic with no signal. It’s absolute insanity.
New Mexico looks right, watch out for those plates on the road
Is it fair to assume NY is not as bad because the roads are so dense that most accidents are not fatal? Obviously upstate is different than NYC/metro but that’s my guess.
does your city govt suck and are they corrupt? red
Massachusetts having the safest highways is interesting.
I hate driving in FL. If we have the time, I will get off on the old small highways that go through the small towns. It is not fast, but it is not the insanity that is Florida interstates.
What is causing such high fatalities in the CA Central Valley? I wouldn’t have guessed that would be such a dangerous area
This map is awful for us colorblind folks.
I thought Sacramento drivers were bad, but Fresno is bright red.
Wisconsin drinks the most and drives the best!?
Shocked Oregon is worst than Texas and Indiana. I’ve lived in all 3, and would estimate Oregon the best.
Wow. And those southern states don’t deal with much inclement weather or are northern states just kept practiced because they do?
I didn’t even have to look. Any time someone posts something about the states, I immediately say, “thanks Mississippi.” It literally never fails.
What’s going on in New Mexico that makes it worse than Arizona?
Hmm. This shows state borders so well that I have to wonder if we’re looking at reporting issues as well as behavioral ones.
Infrastructure quality really shows up in this visualization.
Really cool road graphic!
I did this country by country:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/1o9fohm/i_wonder_why_us_annual_trafficrelated_fatalities/](https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/1o9fohm/i_wonder_why_us_annual_trafficrelated_fatalities/)
and then also state by state:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/1o9fohm/comment/nk29l1l/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/fuckcars/comments/1o9fohm/comment/nk29l1l/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
This is the only statistic that matters. It levels the playing field.
Massholes may drive like massholes but they do so with enough skill to kill less people.
Being able to see New Jersey on this map is perfect