41,000 people were killed in US car crashes last year. What cities are the most dangerous?
A trucker who was distracted by TikTok and speeding in the Phoenix area last year caused a crash that killed five people. He's now going to spend the next 22 years of his life in prison.
The catastrophic crash that devastated the lives of six families is just one of millions of car crashes in the U.S. that kill many thousands of people. Last year, about 41,000 people died in traffic crashes, according to preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Some of the leading causes of the crashes include distracted driving, speeding, and drug and alcohol use. In 2022 alone, more than 3,300 people were killed on U.S. roadways because of distracted driving, according to the safety administration.
"Put the phone away or pay," Sophie Shulman, deputy administrator for the administration, previously told USA TODAY. "Pay can mean a ticket or points on your license and it can also mean pay the ultimate price − a deadly crash that takes your life or the life of someone else on the road."
Crash fatality data from the federal government gives insight into which states and major cities are the most dangerous for drivers. Forbes Advisor recently compared the 50 most populated U.S. cities to find the average number of fatal crashes per 100,000 residents over a five-year period.
As millions of Americans travel for the three-day Labor Day weekend, see which cities are the most dangerous for drivers and passengers.
Which cities are the most dangerous for drivers?
Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the most dangerous cities for drivers, according to a Forbes Advisor analysis looking at the average rate of fatal accidents between 2017 and 2021.
In Memphis, 25.96 people per 100,000 residents were killed in fatal motor vehicle accidents, the most of any major U.S. city. Detroit, Michigan, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, followed with the highest rate of fatal car crashes per 100,000 residents. Tucson, Arizona, and Kansas City, Missouri, round out the top five.
Texas is home to three of the top 15 cities with the worst drivers, Forbes reported. These cities include Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.
Drunk driving, distracted driving and speeding are common causes of fatal car accidents. In Memphis, fatal car crashes involving drunk driving averaged at 7.5 per 100,000 residents. Detroit and Dallas followed as cities with the highest rates of fatal crashes involving drunk driving.
Top 20 dangerous cities for drivers
When looking at a 5-year average of motor vehicle fatality data, the following cities have the highest fatality rates per 100,000 residents:
- Memphis, Tennessee: 25.96 people killed per 100,000 residents
- Detroit, Michigan: 21.47 people killed per 100,000 residents
- Albuquerque, New Mexico 18.11 people per 100,000 residents
- Tucson, Arizona 17.02 people per 100,000 residents
- Kansas City, Missouri 16.85 people per 100,000 residents
- Jacksonville, Florida 16.23 people per 100,000 residents
- Dallas, Texas 15.77 people per 100,000 residents
- Atlanta, Georgia 15.43 people per 100,000 residents
- Tampa, Florida 15.42 people per 100,000 residents
- Louisville, Kentucky 14.99 people per 100,000 residents
- Phoenix, Arizona 14.59 people per 100,000 residents
- Tulsa, Oklahoma 13.4 people per 100,000 residents
- Nashville, Tennessee 13.4 people per 100,000 residents
- Miami, Florida 13.21 people per 100,000 residents
- Indianapolis, Indiana 13.17 people per 100,000 residents
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 12.46 people per 100,000 residents
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin 12.21 people per 100,000 residents
- Fort Worth, Texas 11.48 people per 100,000 residents
- Houston, Texas 11.36 people per 100,000 residents
- Bakersfield, California 10.96 people per 100,000 residents
What state is the safest for driving?:Here's where the riskiest drivers are.
Have traffic fatalities decreased?
The number of miles driven in 2023 increased to 67.5 billion, while the number of traffic fatalities decreased by 3.6% from 2022. The total number of motor vehicle fatalities has increased compared to the prior decade. Between 2013 and 2023, motor vehicle fatalities increased by about 25%, safety administration data shows.
More than 3,300 people died and nearly 290,000 were injured in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2022, Shulman said. She said that's likely an undercount because people may not want to admit to using their phones prior to a crash, and it can be difficult for law enforcement to determine if they were doing so.
Distracted driving:Arizona truck driver distracted by TikTok videos gets over 20 years for deadly crash
Report:As US traffic fatalities fall, distracted drivers told to 'put the phone away or pay'