{"title":"Most Dangerous Metro Areas for Driving","url":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer","license":"CC BY 4.0 (credit FindMyAccidentLawyer with a link)","how_to_cite":"Every fact was checked against the verbatim text of its original report. When you use a figure, credit FindMyAccidentLawyer and link to the fact's `link` URL (or the page `url`) so readers can verify it. Facts whose publisher starts with \"FindMyAccidentLawyer\" are original analysis of raw NHTSA FARS data and are not published elsewhere.","updated":"2026-10-19","count":15,"facts":[{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Deaths in all counties of the metro (OMB 2023 CBSA delineation) for 2022-2024, divided by the sum of annual Census population estimates. Connecticut metros excluded (county-equivalent mismatch).","id":"metro-deadliest-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest metro areas","stat":"The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area had the highest traffic death rate from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metro areas with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded): 24.89 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":24.89,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-deadliest-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-deadliest-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Same method as the No. 1 ranking.","id":"metro-rank2-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest metro areas","stat":"Fresno, CA ranked No. 2 for traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 17.86 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":17.86,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-rank2-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-rank2-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Same method as the No. 1 ranking.","id":"metro-rank3-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest metro areas","stat":"Tucson, AZ ranked No. 3 for traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 16.89 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":16.89,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-rank3-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-rank3-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Same method as the No. 1 ranking.","id":"metro-rank4-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest metro areas","stat":"Birmingham, AL ranked No. 4 for traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 15.98 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":15.98,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-rank4-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-rank4-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Same method as the No. 1 ranking.","id":"metro-rank5-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest metro areas","stat":"Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ranked No. 5 for traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 15.42 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":15.42,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-rank5-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-rank5-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Metros with 1 million+ residents (2024).","id":"metro-safest-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Safest metro areas","stat":"The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area had the lowest traffic death rate from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 4.62 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":4.62,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-safest-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-safest-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Metros with 1 million+ residents (2024).","id":"metro-safest2-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Safest metro areas","stat":"Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH had the second-lowest traffic death rate from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 4.71 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":4.71,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-safest2-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-safest2-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Ratio of the two 3-year rates above.","id":"metro-gap-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest metro areas","stat":"From 2022 to 2024, the traffic death rate in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro was 5.4 times the rate in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro, the highest and lowest among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded).","value":5.4,"unit":"times","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-gap-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-gap-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"FARS 2024 Annual Report File, summed across the metro's counties.","id":"metro-most-deaths-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest metro areas","stat":"The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area had the most traffic deaths of any U.S. metro area in 2024, with 977 people killed.","value":977,"unit":"deaths","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-most-deaths-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#metro-most-deaths-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Counties with 500,000+ residents in 2024; Connecticut excluded.","id":"county-deadliest-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest large counties","stat":"Shelby County, TN had the highest traffic death rate from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. counties with 500,000 or more people (Connecticut excluded): 26.36 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":26.36,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#county-deadliest-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#county-deadliest-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Counties with 500,000+ residents in 2024; Connecticut excluded.","id":"county-rank2-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest large counties","stat":"Kern County, CA ranked No. 2 for traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. counties with 500,000 or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 21.66 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":21.66,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#county-rank2-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#county-rank2-2022-2024)"},{"geo":"US","published":"","notes":"Counties with 500,000+ residents in 2024; Connecticut excluded.","id":"county-rank3-2022-2024","topic":"metro","section":"Deadliest large counties","stat":"Volusia County, FL ranked No. 3 for traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. counties with 500,000 or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 19.65 deaths per 100,000 residents per year.","value":19.65,"unit":"per 100k","year":2024,"source_title":"FMAL analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022-2024 data files and Census population estimates","publisher":"FindMyAccidentLawyer (NHTSA FARS data)","url":"https://www.nhtsa.gov/research-data/fatality-analysis-reporting-system-fars","computed":true,"link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#county-rank3-2022-2024","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#county-rank3-2022-2024)"},{"id":"ped-sga-memphis","topic":"pedestrian","section":"States and cities","stat":"Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks Memphis, TN-MS-AR as the metro area with the highest pedestrian fatality rate, an average of 5.5 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents per year over 2020 to 2024.","value":5.5,"unit":"per 100k per year","year":2024,"geo":"US","source_title":"Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings","publisher":"Smart Growth America","published":"2026-06","url":"https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/2026-dbd-rankings/","notes":"Rankings table (metro areas), rate = average annual pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents, 2020-2024 (year field = end of period).","link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#ped-sga-memphis","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer, citing Smart Growth America, Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#ped-sga-memphis)"},{"id":"ped-sga-top10-metros","topic":"pedestrian","section":"States and cities","stat":"Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks Memphis (5.5 average annual pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents, 2020 to 2024) as the deadliest metro area for people walking, followed by Albuquerque (5.32), Bakersfield-Delano (5.01), Tucson (4.43), Baton Rouge (4.18), Little Rock (4.17), Fresno (4.06), Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (3.74), and New Orleans-Metairie and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (both 3.73).","value":5.5,"unit":"per 100k per year","year":2024,"geo":"US","source_title":"Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings","publisher":"Smart Growth America","published":"2026-06","url":"https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/2026-dbd-rankings/","notes":"Rankings table, average annual pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents, 2020-2024 (year field = end of period); ranks 1 to T-9 shown, ten metros.","link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#ped-sga-top10-metros","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer, citing Smart Growth America, Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#ped-sga-top10-metros)"},{"id":"ped-sga-top-state","topic":"pedestrian","section":"States and cities","stat":"Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks New Mexico as the deadliest state for people walking, at an average of 4.42 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents per year over 2020 to 2024, followed by Louisiana (3.53) and Arizona (3.49).","value":4.42,"unit":"per 100k per year","year":2024,"geo":"US","source_title":"Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings","publisher":"Smart Growth America","published":"2026-06","url":"https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/2026-dbd-rankings/","notes":"State rankings table, 2020-2024 average (year field = end of period). NHTSA's single-year 2024 rate for New Mexico (4.22, ped-top-state-rate-2024) is a different measure and period.","link":"https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#ped-sga-top-state","cite_as":"FindMyAccidentLawyer, citing Smart Growth America, Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings (https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas#ped-sga-top-state)"}]}