The US has some of the longest and busiest roads in the world, and road fatalities are among the country's leading causes of death. According to recent estimates by the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 44,000 people died in traffic crashes in 2023. Data from a four-year study by vehicle software company Teletrac Navman suggests that it’s the country’s highways that tend to be the deadliest roads, due to the density of traffic and the fact that they're high-speed and prone to driving hazards like extreme weather.
Click through this gallery as we rank 25 of America's deadliest highways...
Not to be confused with the iconic Route 66, Interstate 66 runs for 76 miles (122km) between the cities of Strasburg and Arlington in Virginia. According to the data, it is America’s 25th most deadly road, recording 34 traffic-related deaths between 2016 and 2019, which is the equivalent of 0.446 per mile. The deadliest city on the route for fatalities was Washington DC, a notoriously traffic-heavy section of this high-speed highway.
US Route 175 goes from Dallas to Jacksonville in Texas, covering a stretch of 114 miles (183km). There were 51 deaths due to traffic on the highway between 2016 and 2019, which equates to 0.447 deaths per mile. Most of the urban fatalities were recorded in the Dallas section of the road, which runs a southeast route through the busy city. Due to its booming population and many tourist attractions, the Texan city has seen a large increase in traffic over the years.
A busy route east from Knoxville in Tennessee to Bristol in Virginia, the US 11W recorded a total of 50 deaths between 2016 and 2019, making it the country’s 23rd most dangerous road. It had an average of 0.45 deaths per mile over its 111-mile (179km) length. The deadliest city along its route was identified as Kingsport in Tennessee. A stretch just outside the town of Bean Station, between Kingsport and Knoxville, was the scene of a horrific multi-car collision in the 1970s that gave the road the worrying moniker 'Bloody Highway 11W'.
Snaking 1,189 miles (1,914km) between Punta Gorda in Florida and Winchester in Virginia, US 17 is a heavily congested artery of the southeast. It recorded 549 traffic deaths, according to the data, which is an average of 0.462 deaths per mile. Driving under the influence is one of the main contributors to the high fatality level. Pictured here is where the road crosses over the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge between downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant. The South Carolina port city was recorded as the deadliest city on this route.
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A major interstate highway connecting Mobile in Alabama with Gary in Indiana and crossing the Ohio River, the I-65 is notoriously busy and is a major trucking route, linking large metropolises like Indianapolis, Louisville and Nashville. It ranks number 21 on the list due to the 430 deaths that were recorded over its 887 miles (1,427km) between 2016 and 2019. This is an average of 0.485 deaths per mile. The deadliest city along its route is Nashville. The road can experience dangerous weather conditions in winter, with snow and ice creating hazardous conditions.
US 199 charts a route northeast from Crescent City in California to Grants Pass in Oregon, a scenic city straddling the Rogue River. A popular tourist route, the 80-mile (129km) highway takes in the so-called Redwood Highway and includes the stunning Smith River Scenic Byway. However, this scenic road recorded 39 deaths between 2016 and 2019, which gives it an average of 0.488 deaths per mile. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, the section between Applegate River and the California border is where many fatal and serious crashes have occurred in recent years. Upgrades are being made to the road surface to improve safety conditions.
As the second most populous state, Texas has some of the busiest and most treacherous highways in the country. Interstate 35 East from Hillsboro to Denton recorded 48 deaths due to traffic, according to the report, which is an average of 0.496 deaths per mile. Along its 97-mile (156km) stretch, Dallas was identified as the deadliest city. The road is also a popular route for large trucks. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the top causes of fatal crashes were speeding and pedestrians failing to yield the right of way to vehicles when crossing.
Between 2016 and 2019, 151 people lost their lives on Interstate 26, which runs 305 miles (490km) from Charleston, South Carolina to Kingsport on the Virginia/Tennessee state border. This is an average of 0.496 per mile. The most deaths were concentrated around North Charleston. Scenic stretches of this high-speed thoroughfare include the Blue Ridge Mountains and Sumter National Forest.
Interstate 83 is a traffic-clogged highway that goes between Baltimore in Maryland and Progress in Pennsylvania. There were 43 deaths on its 85-mile (137km) route between 2016 and 2019. Speeding is a major contributor to traffic accidents on this treacherous corridor but the recent installation of speed cameras along a particularly dangerous stretch in Baltimore – named the deadliest city on the route – has seen a reduction in crashes.
A busy six-lane highway that connects the far southeast of the country with the Great Lakes, Interstate 75 starts at Miami Lakes in Florida and goes through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio before ending in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. Over its 1,786 miles (2,874km) it recorded 930 traffic deaths in the period studied, which is an average of 0.521 deaths per mile. The data found the deadliest city along its route was Atlanta. The segment between I-75 and I-475 is known to be particularly dicey due to high traffic volumes.
Running from Pulleys Mill, Illinois to East Ridge, Tennessee with the city of Nashville around its midway point, Interstate 24 is a heavily congested highway. The country’s 15th deadliest road, it recorded 167 road traffic deaths over its 317-mile (510km) route, which is an average of 0.527 deaths per mile. Music City has been identified as the deadliest part of the highway, and it’s certainly one of its busiest stretches. The I-24 SMART Corridor project aims to help control traffic volumes in particularly congested areas.
This 85-mile (137km) branch of Interstate 35 connects the Texas cities of Hillsboro and Denton, going via the busy city of Fort Worth. The highway recorded 45 deaths in the period studied, which equates to 0.528 per mile. As the 12th-largest city in the country and with one of its fastest-growing populations, Fort Worth’s roads are renowned for being extremely busy at peak times. On this route, the intersection of the North Freeway (I-35W) and Meacham Boulevard is a particularly hazardous point.
See these jaw-dropping images of the world's most dangerous roads
Another dangerous highway that originates in Texas is Interstate 20, routing 1,539 miles (2,477km) east from Reeves County through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia to Florence in South Carolina. There were a total of 845 deaths on this highway, an average of 0.549 per mile. The most high-risk city for these accidents was Dallas. The survey identified the most common causes as being pedestrians and overturned vehicles.
The first of the Golden State’s roads to make this list is Interstate 10, which links the coastal city of Santa Monica with Jacksonville, a staggering 2,460 miles (3,959km) away in Florida. This long-distance route – the fourth longest in the country and one of only three coast-to-coast Interstates – recorded 1,469 traffic deaths, or 0.597 per mile. It wasn’t a Californian city that ranked as its deadliest spot, however. It was two Texas cities – Houston and El Paso – that tied for the unfortunate title.
Stretching up the west coast from California’s border with Mexico to Blaine in Washington State, and going via the major cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Portland and Seattle, Interstate 5 is a lengthy and congested highway. Over its 1,381 miles (2,222km) it recorded 841 total traffic deaths, which is an average of 0.609 per mile. The deadliest city on its path – and the most populous – is Los Angeles. Some of its worst bottlenecks are at the junction with I-10 as it leads out of LA.
Routing 666 miles (1,072km) northeast from Montgomery, Alabama to Petersburg, Virginia, Interstate 85 is ranked America's 10th most deadly highway to drive. It recorded 408 deaths, an average of 0.613 per mile, with Charlotte in North Carolina highlighted as the deadliest city along its length. The highway is an extremely busy route with commuters and commercial vehicles, and at night some parts of the road aren't especially well-lit.
With its red-rock landscapes, old mining towns and open roads, Arizona is an awesome state for a road trip. Interstate 19, which runs from Nogales on the border with Mexico north to Tucson, connects two of its most fascinating cities. Trivia fans will be interested to know it’s the only highway that shows kilometres on its signs, a remnant of the US government’s short-lived plan to join the metric system in 1975. However, on a serious note, the highway recorded 40 deaths over just 63 miles (101km). That gives it an average of 0.631 deaths per mile, and its deadliest city was Sahuarita, just south of Tucson.
The main north to south highway on the East Coast, Interstate 95 snakes its way up from Miami in Florida to Houlton in Maine, going through more states than any other interstate highway. It’s also been ranked one of the most dangerous thoroughfares, coming in at number eight on this list with 1,215 fatalities recorded along its 1,908 miles (3,070km). The Florida city of Jacksonville was rated the deadliest city en route; it's one of the most congested cities on the East Coast.
Sweeping northeast from Aledo in Texas to North Little Rock in Arkansas, Interstate 30 recorded 237 deaths according to the study, which is an average of 0.646 deaths per mile. The 367-mile (590km) road is at its deadliest as it passes through the Dallas metropolitan area, where it is known as the Tom Landry Freeway. Two pinch points for fatal traffic accidents are the Jim Miller Road in Dallas to the I-635 in Mesquite and the North Jim Miller Road to Northwest Drive in Dallas.
A busy commuter route that connects Slidell with Baton Rouge in Louisiana, allowing drivers to bypass the Greater New Orleans area, Interstate 12 was ranked the sixth deadliest highway in this study with 57 traffic deaths. Over its 86 miles (138km) there were an average of 0.666 deaths per mile. State capital Baton Rouge was the deadliest city, where narrow lanes can cause problems at busy times. A recent project has seen the widening of the I-12 corridor that runs through the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, helping to ease congestion.
A heavily used highway in the Sunshine State, US Route 92 travels 177 miles (285km) from St Petersburg to Daytona Beach, cutting across the Florida peninsula. The fifth deadliest highway on the list, there were 125 fatalities on this road between 2016 and 2019 which gives it an average of 0.706 deaths per mile. Tampa was the metropolitan area with the most casualties. After navigating around the busy city, Route 92 goes across Old Tampa Bay via the stunning Gandy Bridge.
An undeniably scenic highway, Interstate 17 connects Phoenix and Flagstaff in Arizona. It’s just 146 miles (234km) long but there were 103 traffic deaths in the studied period, which gives it an average of 0.707 deaths per mile. At both ends the route experiences heavy urban traffic, with Phoenix the most perilous city on its route. The highway has some complex interchanges, including where it meets Loop 101 – a freeway loop that encircles the Phoenix metropolitan area (pictured).
The third most dangerous highway in America is US Route 192, which runs through central Florida from Four Corners to Indialantic via Kissimmee – the deadliest city for traffic accidents on the route. There were 65 deaths along its 75-mile (121km) stretch, giving the highway an average of 0.867 fatalities per mile. An extremely busy route for commuters and tourists, the 192 is used by people travelling to Walt Disney World Resort as well as Melbourne Orlando International Airport.
The Lone Star State lays claim to the second most dangerous highway in the country – Interstate 45, which connects Galveston and Dallas. Despite being only 285 miles (459km) long, there were 260 deaths along its path between 2016 and 2019, giving it an average of 0.913 per mile. The place with the most casualties was Texas' most populous city, Houston. Alongside huge volumes of traffic, distracted and drunk driving can be an issue on this route.
Florida’s Interstate 4, which joins Tampa with Daytona Beach, is the most dangerous highway in the US, according to the Teletrac Navman study. Between 2016 and 2019, 150 people died in traffic accidents on this stretch of road, giving it a shocking average of 1.134 per mile. Orlando saw the most fatalities during this time, with 11 reported. The Orlando section of the highway experiences excessively heavy traffic due to both local commuters and the large volumes of national and international tourists that visit the city's attractions, with many navigating the unfamiliar and busy road in rental cars.
Read on to see amazing early photos of America's highways and automobiles