U.S. cities with the highest traffic accident rates

The highest risk areas are concentrated along the coasts and in metropolitan areas.

Traffic accidents are a common phenomenon everywhere; however, there are places where the likelihood of them occurring is higher. This may be due to a lack of road education, road rage, insufficient signage, or inadequate road infrastructure. Some cities in the United States experience higher rates of traffic accidents. In 2023, Forbes, in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Allstate, conducted research to identify the U.S. cities with the highest traffic accident rates.

Cities with the highest probability of traffic accidents in the U.S.

Traffic accidents occur in all cities across the United States, but the study revealed that the highest-risk areas are concentrated along the coasts and in metropolitan areas. In these regions, populations are large, and public transportation systems are limited, which leads to a greater reliance on personal vehicles.

According to the analysis by Forbes Advisor, which ranked cities based on the traffic accident mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants, the relative probability of collision, and the average number of years between collisions, these are the 10 U.S. cities most likely to experience a traffic accident:

Baltimore, Maryland – 152.5%
Washington, DC – 142.3%
Boston, Massachusetts – 116.5%
Los Angeles, California – 82.0%
Oakland, California – 67.7%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 67.0%
San Francisco, California – 55.6%
Portland, Oregon – 51.1%
Atlanta, Georgia – 49.5%
Dallas, Texas – 46.5%

The 10 cities with the highest fatal accident rates in the U.S.

In addition to evaluating collision probabilities, Forbes Advisor also analyzed cities with the highest fatalities due to traffic accidents. For this list, cities with the highest fatal accident rates per 100,000 inhabitants were considered.

Memphis, Tennessee
Detroit, Michigan
Tucson, Arizona
Jacksonville, Florida
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Louisville, Kentucky
Kansas City, Missouri
Dallas, Texas
Atlanta, Georgia
Tampa, Florida

Forbes’ analysis highlights not only the cities with the highest crash probabilities, but also those with the highest rates of fatal crashes. This underscores the importance of continuing to improve road safety, with measures that address infrastructure, education and road culture to reduce these risks and protect drivers and pedestrians.