Key Takeaways
- Deadliest States: Wyoming ranks first with a rate of 6.23 fatal crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers, followed by New Mexico (5.94) and Mississippi (4.03). All three are rural states with long stretches of high-speed interstate.
- Regional Divide: The South carries the highest regional rate at 2.58, with 12 of its 16 states exceeding the national average. The Northeast is the safest region, where all nine states fall below the national benchmark.
- Safest States: New York records the lowest rate in the nation at 0.71, followed by Hawaii (0.77) and Minnesota (0.86). All three sit more than 57% below the national average of 2.02.
America’s interstate highway system stretches across every corner of the country, carrying millions of drivers between cities and state lines each day. For most, these highways represent the fastest and most reliable way to cover long distances. But the safety of that journey is far from equal across all 50 states. Some corridors have quietly become far more dangerous than others, shaped by factors like terrain, infrastructure, and driving culture. This study examines where the risk runs highest and where interstate travel remains the safest.
The study, conducted by Easton & Easton, LLP, analyzed fatal crash data from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for all 50 states over five years (2020 to 2024). States were ranked by average annual fatal crash rate per 100,000 licensed drivers.
The 10 Deadliest States for Interstate Fatal Crashes
| Rank | State | Avg. Annual Fatal Interstate Crashes | Rate per 100KLicensed Drivers |
| 1 | Wyoming | 27.2 | 6.23 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 90.0 | 5.94 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 82.6 | 4.03 |
| 4 | Alaska | 21.0 | 4.00 |
| 5 | Montana | 33.0 | 3.83 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 87.6 | 3.64 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 90.0 | 3.50 |
| 8 | Louisiana | 118.2 | 3.46 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 174.0 | 3.45 |
| 10 | Missouri | 136.4 | 3.18 |
Wyoming’s rate of 6.23 is 209% above the national average of 2.02 and 8.81 times New York’s rate, the nation’s safest state. Every state in the top 10 exceeds the national average by at least 57%, with seven of the ten located in the South or broader Sun Belt.
The 10 Safest States for Interstate Fatal Crashes
| Rank | State | Avg. Annual Fatal Interstate Crashes | Rate per 100KLicensed Drivers |
| 1 | New York | 86.2 | 0.71 |
| 2 | Hawaii | 7.2 | 0.77 |
| 3 | Minnesota | 35.6 | 0.86 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 62.4 | 0.94 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 42.2 | 0.96 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 11.6 | 1.04 |
| 7 | Maine | 12.2 | 1.15 |
| 8 | Delaware | 10.2 | 1.18 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 9.0 | 1.19 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 58.6 | 1.19 |
New York’s rate of 0.71 is 65% below the national average, with its 12.18 million licensed drivers offsetting an average of 86.2 crashes annually. Six of the 10 safest states are in the Northeast, and every state on this list falls at least 41% below the national benchmark.
The 10 States With the Most Interstate Fatal Crashes by Volume
| Rank | State | Avg. Annual Fatal Crashes | Rate per 100K Drivers | NationalRate Rank |
| 1 | Texas | 561.2 | 3.00 | 11th |
| 2 | California | 548.6 | 2.00 | 25th |
| 3 | Florida | 300.6 | 1.82 | 29th |
| 4 | Georgia | 198.4 | 2.61 | 15th |
| 5 | Tennessee | 174.0 | 3.45 | 9th |
| 6 | Illinois | 163.2 | 1.92 | 26th |
| 7 | North Carolina | 152.0 | 1.92 | 27th |
| 8 | Ohio | 141.4 | 1.69 | 32nd |
| 9 | Missouri | 136.4 | 3.18 | 10th |
| 10 | Virginia | 132.2 | 2.23 | 19th |
Texas leads with 561.2 average annual fatal crashes but ranks only 11th by rate (3.00), while California’s 548.6 crashes place it right at the national average (2.00, rank 25th). Tennessee and Missouri are the only two states appearing in both the top 10 by volume and the top 10 by rate.
The 10 States Furthest Above the National Average
| Rank | State | Rate per 100 K Drivers | % Above National Avg. | Avg. Annual Fatal Crashes |
| 1 | Wyoming | 6.23 | +209.1% | 27.2 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 5.94 | +194.4% | 90.0 |
| 3 | Mississippi | 4.03 | +99.7% | 82.6 |
| 4 | Alaska | 4.00 | +98.3% | 21.0 |
| 5 | Montana | 3.83 | +89.7% | 33.0 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 3.64 | +80.3% | 87.6 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 3.50 | +73.4% | 90.0 |
| 8 | Louisiana | 3.46 | +71.5% | 118.2 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 3.45 | +70.8% | 174.0 |
| 10 | Missouri | 3.18 | +57.5% | 136.4 |
Wyoming and New Mexico are clear outliers, each exceeding the national average by more than 190%, while the remaining eight states range between 57% and 100% above. All five of the top entries are rural, low-density states where sparse driver populations and long high-speed corridors amplify per capita risk.
Methodology
This study analyzed interstate fatal crash data for all 50 U.S. states over a five-year period from 2020 through 2024. Fatal crash counts on interstate highways were obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), and licensed driver populations were sourced from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Statistics Series, Table DL-1C. For each state, total interstate fatal crashes across all five years were averaged to produce an average annual fatal crash count. This figure was then divided by the state’s average annual licensed driver count over the same period and multiplied by 100,000 to yield a fatal crash rate per 100,000 licensed drivers. States were ranked from highest rate (Rank 1, deadliest) to lowest rate (Rank 50, safest).
