Last Updated on April 29, 2025 by AutoSlash Staff
If you’ve ever planned a road trip across the U.S., you may have wondered which states have the safest roads and drivers. Government data provides some clues as to which are the safest states to drive in.
Road hazards, weather, speeding and impaired driving can all play a role in accidents. But one statistic that broadly provides some insight into the safest states for drivers is the number of accident-related deaths per 100,000 people. This number shows which states have the highest number of car accident-related deaths in relation to their overall population.
The most current data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2022. Road hazards, weather, speeding and impaired driving can all play a role in accidents. One statistic that broadly provides some insight into the safest states for drivers is the number of accident-related deaths per 100,000 people. This number paints a picture as to which states have the lowest number of car accident-related deaths in relation to the overall population.
Key Trends in Auto Accidents in the U.S.
One factor that can’t be ignored is that there are simply more cars on the roads than ever. In the decade from 2013 to 2022, there was a 13% increase in registered vehicles in the United States. There was also an 11% increase in licensed drivers, a 7% increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and a 5% increase in the population of the United States. During that decade, there were not only more people in the US, but more drivers, more cars and more miles traveled in cars. In 2022 passenger cars and light trucks accounted for more than three-fourths (76% cumulatively and 33% and 43%, respectively) of the vehicles involved in fatal traffic crashes.
Those taking a long road trip will find the interstate highways are some of the safest roads. More than four in five speeding-related traffic fatalities in 2022 occurred on non-interstates.
The 10 States With the Least Traffic Accidents Per Driver
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US saw 42,514 deaths from fatal accidents in 2022, the most recent year with a complete data set. That was a decrease of 1.7% compared with the previous year. Based on that data, here are the states with the lowest number of deaths in traffic accidents per driver.
States with the lowest traffic fatality rates per 100,000 licensed drivers
Rhode Island (6.842)
Massachusetts (8.883)
New York (9.723)
New Jersey (10.333)
Minnesota (10.783)
Utah (14.163)
Iowa (14.363)
Michigan (14.453)
Illinois (14.903)
Idaho (15.44)
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