Accidents Are An Unavoidable Part Of American Life, But Which U.S. Cities Feature The Most Accidents?
Accidents are a daily reality in every U.S. city, but some are more dangerous than others. Accidents and unintentional injuries are the third biggest killer in the United States and claimed 222,698 lives in 2023. However, some city populations are more accident-prone than others, with huge differentials across the U.S.
This study will pinpoint the most accident-prone cities in America, look at different types of accidents and why some happen more in certain cities than others, and consider ways all Americans can help to improve yearly accident figures.
America’s Most Accident-Prone Cities – Key Factors
To discover the most accident-prone cities in the U.S., it’s important to consider the individual factors that contribute to an overall accident ranking. We’ll look across the data in various relevant areas and consider why some cities are more accident-prone than others. Firstly, let’s consider one major cause of accidents: vehicles.
Vehicle Fatalities by City
Vehicle crashes killed 39,345 people in the U.S. in 2024. Over a period covering the start of 2019 to the end of 2023, the following cities had the highest car-crash fatality rate.
- Memphis, Tennessee – 25.96 (people killed per 100,000 residents)
- Detroit, Michigan – 21.47
- Albuquerque, New Mexico – 18.11
- Tucson, Arizona – 17.02
- Kansas City, Missouri – 16.85
- Jacksonville, Florida – 16.23
- Dallas, Texas – 15.77
- Atlanta, Georgia – 15.43
- Tampa, Florida – 15.42
- Louisville, Kentucky – 14.99
There are numerous reasons that these cities, particularly Memphis, are more dangerous than others, with all sharing some of the same characteristics.
Memphis ranked as the worst city of all for bad driver behavior during a Forbes multi-year city-traffic analysis, and study data suggests that its roads are poorly laid out, narrow, and ultimately can’t cope with high volumes of traffic.
Detroit is described in a report as being afflicted with ‘complex traffic flow that increases the likelihood of accidents’. While Florida’s two cities on the top ten list – Jacksonville and Tampa – are both subject to a unique Floridian mix of factors: sudden and dangerous changes in weather, busy roads full of comparatively elderly drivers (as well as lots of inexperienced drivers), and a heavy influx of tourist traffic all year round.
Broadly speaking, the question of whether or not states are investing enough in public safety is a complex one, but study data suggests that there is a widespread shortfall in funding.
A recent Pew Charitable Trust study suggests that state and local governments don’t have the investment they need to sufficiently maintain their roadways, with a funding gap of $105 billion. One consequence isthat road infrastructure often deteriorates faster than it can be repaired.
California (19,241), Texas (18,728), and Florida (16,000) are by some distance the top three states for driving accident fatalities between 2019 and 2023.
To put this gulf into perspective, fourth-placed Georgia (7,744 fatalities over the same period) suffered less than half that of third-placed Florida. In each state, a significant portion of driving fatalities is down to one factor: drunk driving.
Drunk Driving Accidents: Injuries and Fatalities
2024 study data suggests 13,000 people were killed due to drunk-driving crashes in the U.S., at a cost of around $58 billion. However, drunk-driving accident rates vary considerably across America, with some cities faring much worse than others.
The cities with the highest percentage of drunk-driving crashes (across all vehicle collisions) are:
- Austin83.19%
- San Antonio82.11%
- El Paso82.09%
- Dallas75%
- Houston72.13%
- Fort Worth71.93%
- Kansas63.41%
- Chicago60.69%
- Denver59.15%
- Charlotte58.7%.
Incredibly, the top six cities on the drunk-driving list are in Texas, indicative of a huge problem in the state. One key statistic that may in part explain this is that over 2% of Texans report driving after drinking too much.
To compare, drivers across the rest of the country report doing likewise only 1.7% of the time. Spread over millions of inhabitants (Texas has over 31 million), that represents a huge differential.
So it’s perhaps unsurprising to discover that Texas (1162) is the state with the most drunk-driving fatalities, with California (1069) and Florida (797) second and third on the list – according to 2023 study data. (And when it comes to drunk-driving arrests per 100,000 of a city’s population, Las Vegas (1,986), Austin (1,254), and El Paso (1,199) make up the top three.)
Bicycle Accident Hotspots: injuries and fatalities
Although we’re moving on to cyclist accidents, cars are still a contributing factor, with study data revealing that 90% of all bicycle accidents are caused by collisions with vehicles.
Bicyclist fatalities are on the rise: study data tells us there was a 4.4% increase between 2022 and 2024, with busy cities the main site of bicycle accidents (82% occur on urban roads).Urban streets are not just a matter of higher traffic volume and speeds (although both factors do increase the risk of accidents).
Complex city intersections are especially hazardous for cyclists, particularly when they have to deal with distracted drivers. And a surprising number of cities still lack adequate bike lanes or other cyclist-centric infrastructure.
In terms of dangerous cycling cities, Little Rock in Arkansas, is the main hotspot. It features the highest cyclist fatality rate per 10,000 cyclists (62.4), with Florida’s Jacksonville taking second spot (49.3) and Oklahoma City (46.7) in third.
Tulsa (41.9), Memphis (37.9), Louisville (37.7), Charlotte (37.0), and Fresno (33.5) are also prominently ranked.
As for states, Florida (222 deaths in 2022) is by far the most dangerous for cyclists, with California (166) and Texas (91) way behind in second and third place.
Children: S Big Part of The U.S. Accident Equation
Child Accidents: Injuries and Fatalities
Cars are still a huge factor when it comes to child fatalities, with motor vehicle crashes the leading cause (20% of all deaths) of child and adolescent fatalities.
Firearm-related injuries were the second leading cause (15%) of child deaths. According to study data, Knoxville, Orlando, and Tampa/St. Petersburg is the most injury-prone city in the U.S. for children.
Teen driving deaths doubled in Knoxville between 2022 and 2024, while Florida Department of Health data puts the weather, swimming accidents, and dangerous driving as the main causes of child deaths in the state’s cities.
Texas, California, and Florida are the states that top the chart for child traffic deaths, which suggests the need for urgent child passenger safety campaigns and much more effective enforcement.
Georgia and North Carolina also report high child fatality numbers, emphasising the danger that Southeastern roads represent to children.
Dog Bite Injury Rankings
Children are also a prominent factor when it comes to dog bites in the U.S. Of 58 dog bite fatalities in 2024, over 20% were children, who also suffered 60% of all dog bite injuries.
Some U.S. cities experience higher rates of dog bite incidents due to a combination of factors, including more dangerous dog breed numbers, ineffective dog control measures, and the presence of a high number of strays. And some cities have a higher percentage of young children, increasing potential dog bite numbers.
Subject to a high number of those factors,Los Angeles suffered more dog bite attacks (77) than any other U.S. city, with Houston (65), Chicago (57), St.Louis (52), Cincinnati (44), and Dallas (43) also prominent on the list.
In terms of state numbers, California’s were by far the highest (727), with Texas (411) and Ohio (359) a long way behind in second and third spots.
The Emergence of E-Scooters As an Accident Threat
E-scooters (along with e-bikes) are increasingly popular mobility options in modern city spaces. E-scooter sales are projected to reach $748 million by the end of 2025, a figure projected to rise to $857.79 million by 2029.
But they’re also a threat to both e-scooter riders and pedestrians. Over a six-year (2017-2022) period, 190,000 e-scooter riders needed to visit emergency rooms with injuries, while 233 pedestrians were injured during e-scooter collisions in 2022 alone.
During those six years, the number of injuries significantly increased every year, from 8,566 in 2017 to 56,847 in 2022, emphasizing the growing threat of e-scooters.
The Most Dangerous States in America: Overall Rankings
When we zoom out from individual cities and accidents, certain states stand out as far more accident-prone than others. Using a composite “Danger Score” that includes drunk-driving fatalities, pedestrian and cyclist deaths, child injury data, and more, we identified where Americans face the highest accident risks.
Top 5 Most Dangerous States
These states consistently rank near the top across multiple accident-related categories:
- California – Danger Score: 19.32
- Texas – 12.67
- Florida – 11.90
- Ohio – 5.38
- Illinois – 5.12
With their massive populations, busy urban centers, and strained infrastructure, it’s no surprise that California, Texas, and Florida form a deadly trifecta at the top.
Bottom 5 Safest States
At the other end of the spectrum, these states had the lowest overall accident burdens:
- District of Columbia – -3.78
- Vermont – -3.72
- Alaska – -3.72
- Rhode Island – -3.62
- Wyoming – -3.62
Smaller populations, fewer urban traffic pressures, and lower exposure to risk factors all contribute to these safer conditions.
Explore the Full Map of Danger Scores
We visualized all 50 states below so you can explore which parts of the country are most and least prone to accidents. Hover over each state to see its full score and compare rankings:
Potential Measures to Improve Safety
Ultimately, there are so many measures that can be taken to significantly reduce the number of accidents that happen every day in America.
Too many intersections are too dangerous, and too many key routes serve both travel and commercial imperatives, leading to a clash of interests, and many unnecessary injuries and fatalities.
Cyclists are also too often the victims of road infrastructure issues and poor, aggressive, inebriated drivers, with the latter factor a huge problem for children. And dog control measures in some cities are ineffective, with powerful breeds biting too many people, especially children.
Better deterrents against owners of aggressive dogs and more effective enforcement measures against distracted and inebriated drivers are badly needed, as is more policy-level acknowledgement that road infrastructure needs better funding and improved design.
The growing injury threat of increasingly popular and dangerous e-scooters must also be taken into much better consideration. With just a few adjustments, it’s possible to make all American cities less accident-prone and more fun to inhabit.
At Anidjar & Levine Accident Attorneys, we’re accident experts. If you’ve been involved in an accident, we may be able to help you – so get in touch to see if you can enjoy the Anidjar & Levine difference.
