10 Most Dangerous Highways in the US
America is a dangerous place. Mass shootings, lack of health care, poor prison rehabilitation, and a society obsessed with violence have turned the country into a modern-day war zone. Then there are the roads. Some of the most dangerous highways in the US are used by thousands of people a day.
Driving on the highway is akin to a game of Russian roulette these days. You just never know what’s going to happen. And if you need proof, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is here to help. They conducted research into the number of deaths that occur on American highways and found that in 2020, America had the highest fatality rates on its roads since 2017, with 1.37 fatalities occurring every 100 million miles.
Although not a surprise the highways in the US are dangerous, considering the size of the country and the sheer number of people who use the roads, the most recent report from the NHTSA still makes for grim reading. You need to make sure you’re obeying the road rules when driving and looking out for other drivers so as to decrease the risk of accidents happening.
If you’re a regular traveler or are planning on a big cross-country road trip and want to know where the most dangerous highways in the US are, then you’ve come to the right place. We have highlighted 10 highways that are known as disaster spots where car accidents often happen. You might be surprised that some of the most famous American highways, such as the Million Dollar Highway, James Dalton highway, and Route 66 don’t feature.
So put on your seatbelt, crank the tunes, and be sure to check your mirrors before changing lanes on these dangerous highways.
10. US Route-41 (US-41)
Running from Florida all the way up to Michigan, US-41 is a major highway stretching 2,008 miles. This is the only interstate highway to feature on this list. It runs through Florida, Atlanta, Tennessee, Nashville, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Michigan. Driving this highway you’ll encounter all sorts of different weather conditions, from scorching heat in Florida to ice storms the further north you head. This is why there are so many deadly crashes that occur on US-41.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 141 fatalities on the road in 2019. This is an average of 7.02 deaths every 100 miles. It remains a well-traveled road and one that must be respected.
9. Interstate 80 (I-80)
Covering a whopping 2,900 miles, Interstate 80 runs across the entire length of the United States from west to east. It starts in downtown San Francisco, California, and leads all the way to Teaneck, New Jersey, and the greater New York area. It’s the second longest highway in the States and goes through some of the country’s most recognizable cities, such as Oakland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and Omaha.
The reason I-80 makes it onto this list is that it’s a route often used by truck drivers, hence the reason there are so many truck accidents that occur on the road. Combine this with the high speeds permitted and occasional bad weather conditions and you have a recipe for disaster. There were 209 fatalities on the road in 2019, averaging out to 7.21 fatalities every 100 miles.
Initially started in 1956, it took 30 years to complete the highway, with the I-80 a famous road trip many people enjoy traveling.
8. Interstate 70 (I-70)
Beginning in Cove Fort, Utah, Interstate 70 is another epic section of highway that ends in Maryland. It passes through Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The building of the highway ran into many problems over the years, with lots of government red tape impacting how long it took to build the road and where it was allowed to pass through.
While it’s a very scenic route, there are many dangerous sections of the road where people have lost control of their cars and crashed, resulting in personal injury, and worse. 158 people perished on the road in 2019 at an average of 7.35 deaths per 100 miles.
The highway is also the inspiration for the nickname of the I-70 Killer. That person was a serial killer who committed several murders along the highway in the early 90s. Despite lots of news coverage, nobody was ever arrested for the murders and the killer remains on the loose.
7. Interstate 40 (I-40)
Another major east-to-west highway, Interstate 40 passes through more of the southern states. Officially the third longest interstate in the country, the I-40 is 2,556 miles of asphalt that is used by thousands of people every day. Copying a similar trajectory to the famous Route 66, the I-40 is a well-travelled piece of road. Kicking off in California, it then passes through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee, before coming to an end in North Carolina.
This dangerous road has the second highest death rate on American highways, with 253 people killed in 2019. But due to the sheer length of the road, the death toll averages out to only 9.89 fatalities every 100 miles, which is why it is lower down the list.
Extremely busy during the summer, Interstate 40 is constantly being updated and worked on to keep it in working order. As the highway weaves around mountains, there are often landslides that contribute to the dangers of driving on this road.
6. Interstate 15 (I-15)
This pleasant to drive but dangerous highway goes from California all the way up to the Canadian border. It was built to connect San Diego with the Inland Empire and serve as a connection to Las Vegas. It then heads north through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana before connecting to Alberta Highway 4 in Canada.
One of the reasons this road is so dangerous is due to the increased traffic. You are more likely to come across a fatal accident due to the population centers the highway passes through increasing exponentially over the years. This has resulted in a lot of commuter projects to help make the road much safer.
While only 158 people were killed on the road in 2019, due to the rather short length of the highway (1,433 miles), this works out to 11.02 fatalities every 100 miles.
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5. Interstate 35 (I-35)
This major highway goes from the south to the northeast. Starting in Laredo, Texas, Interstate 35 makes its way through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa before coming to an end in Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota State Highway 61. The I-35 goes straight through three of the most populated cities in America, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin, and with so many people driving this route, is one of the main reasons you have to be extremely careful when driving this straight stretch of road.
There were 197 fatalities at an average of 12.56 fatalities for every 100 miles. As well as the extra traffic, the route is one taken by many semi-trucks, which only adds to the danger of driving this highway.
4. Interstate 75 (I-75)
Passing through six states, Interstate 75 is similar to US-41 in that it runs from south to north, except it goes all the way to the Canadian border. Running the length of Florida, I-75 then makes its way through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio before coming to an end in Michigan near the Canadian border.
The reason there were 237 fatalities at an average of 13.27 fatalities every 100 miles is that this highway is often buried in snow the further north you go. Snow, sleet, and bad weather conditions are the norm during winter, making this a deadly trek. It’s easy to be distracted driving due to the weather, so be ultra vigilant if tackling this stretch of road so you don’t end up a statistic.
3. Interstate 5 (I-5)
Sure, Interstate 5 has the third lowest fatal collisions with just 186 deaths, but considering how short the road is, this works out to be 13.47 fatalities every 100 miles. Built as part of the Interstate Highway System in 1956, the I-5 runs all along the West Coast of America, parallel with the Pacific Ocean.
The I-5 starts at the Mexican border and takes in Californian cities such as San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, before passing through Portland in Oregon and Seattle in Washington, eventually coming to an end at the Peace Arch Border Crossing on the Canadian border.
The reason this highway is a hotspot is due to the amount of traffic that uses the road in California. As it takes in several major cities and populated areas, there are always cars whizzing down the road, along with trucks carrying cargo to and from Canada. You are guaranteed to see a traffic accident at some point if you drive the entire route.
2. Interstate 20 (I-20)
Interstate 20 connects Texas with South Carolina. It’s 1,539 miles of fairly easy-to-navigate roads but has a high fatality rate due to the number of major cities it flows through. Dallas and Fort Wentworth in Texas, Jackson in Mississippi, Atlanta in Georgia, and Columbia in South Carolina are all heavily populated areas, resulting in more drivers on the road and more fatal car accidents.
There were 208 deaths on the I-20 in 2019 at an average of 13.52 deaths per 100 miles. While not the largest death count, the average is certainly higher than most others, making this long highway particularly dangerous for any driver attempting part of this route.
1. Interstate 95 (I-95)
The deadliest highway in America covers 1,908 miles along the East Coast. Starting at Route 1 in Miami, Florida, this long and winding road ends at the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing in Houlton. The highway links all the major cities on the Eastern seaboard, such as Miami, Jacksonville, Fayetteville, Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Virginia Beach.
According to the statistics gathered by the NHTSA, 284 people lost their lives traveling on this highway. That is the most in America, with an average of 14.88 deaths every 100 miles. The reason is a combination of high-density populations using the road and bad weather in the winter.
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