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15 Dangerous Cities for Driving

The 14th-most dangerous driving city: Birmingham, Ala.The 14th-most dangerous driving city: Birmingham, Ala.There are many ways one could gauge the danger of driving in a particular city, but this list uses the cities with the greatest number of vehicular deaths as a barometer of the danger level. U.S. cities with a population of 150,000 or more were up for consideration, using the most recent motor vehicle crash data available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System and General Estimates System.

One particular region of the country, the South, is overrepresented, and within that region one state in particular sticks out like a panhandle: A full one-third of the cities in this list are in Florida. Why does Florida rank so badly? Some blame the high proportion of New York City expats—some driving for the first time in their lives — foreigners, tourists driving in unfamiliar territory, and senior citizens, not to mention spring breakers, who may have compromised vision or reflexes.

Los Angeles didn’t make the most dangerous list, but had the most total fatalities overall, at 293. The city that’s the most dangerous for pedestrians, according to the data, is Pittsburgh, accounting for more than 50 percent of total fatalities.

Here are the 15 cities that ranked the worst:

15. Oklahoma City, Okla.
Population: 551,789
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 13.41
Total fatalities: 74
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 13.5

14. Birmingham, Ala.
Population: 228,798
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 13.55
Total fatalities: 31
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 15.2

13. Tulsa, Okla.
Population: 385,635
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 14.00
Total fatalities: 54
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 18.5

12. St. Petersburg, Fla.
Population: 245,314
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 14.27
Total fatalities: 35
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 28.6

11. Jacksonville, Fla.
Population: 807,815
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 14.36
Total fatalities: 116
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 13.8

10. Lubbock, Texas
Population: 220,483
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 14.97
Total fatalities: 33
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 15.2

9. Memphis, Tenn.
Population: 669,651
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 15.08
Total fatalities: 101
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 11.9

8. Jackson, Miss.
Population: 173,861
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 15.53
Total fatalities: 27
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 18.5

7. Chattanooga, Tenn.
Population: 170,880
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 16.39
Total fatalities: 28
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 17.9

6. Salt Lake City, Utah
Population: 181,698
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 16.51
Total fatalities: 30
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 26.7

5. San Bernardino, Calif.
Population: 198,580
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 17.12
Total fatalities: 38
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 15.8

4. Little Rock, Ark.
Population: 189,515
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 17.94
Total fatalities: 34
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 26.5

3. Augusta-Richmond Co., Ga.
Population: 194,149
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 19.57
Total fatalities: 38
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 15.8

2. Orlando, Fla.
Population: 230,519
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 19.95
Total fatalities: 46
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 10.9

The most dangerous city to drive in: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.The most dangerous city to drive in: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.1. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Population: 183,126
Total fatality rate per 100,000 population: 22.39
Total fatalities: 41
Percentage of fatalities that were pedestrians: 24.4


On the safer end of the spectrum, here are the 10 cities with the least fatalities per 100,000 population:

Arlington CDP (census designated place), Va. (0.48)
Vancouver, Wash. (1.23)
Moreno Valley, Calif. (1.57)
Rochester, N.Y. (1.93)
Spokane, Wash. (1.98)
Lincoln, Neb. (1.99)
Aurora, Ill. (2.33)
St. Paul, Minn. (2.50)
Omaha, Neb. (2.51)
Jersey City, N.J. (2.90)
 

2,214 comments

  • Robin F  •  8 months ago
    Apparently.....They have NEVER been to Delaware!
  • Olif  •  8 months ago
    43
  • GRTDANE  •  9 months ago
    I would like too drive down the $@$$ highway without seeing every idiot on the cell hone! Pay attention and drive!!!!!
    • Joy 9 months ago
      when I'm not driving, I've taken "informal surveys" of who's driving and using cells (just observing, I can't see those who are using "hands-free" . ..but the number is just above 55% are using cell phones while driving. ..about 10% seem to be texting, or reading those tablets, I'm not kidding. I'm surprised that fatalities aren't higher.
    • Timothy Akey 9 months ago
      I hate how there is no trust, safety, and attention when driving anymore. :(
    • Joel 9 months ago
      What's a cell HONE
  • mikeinchgo  •  9 months ago
    STOP TEXTING MORONS!
    • Dataman 9 months ago
      Yes, only text smart people.
    • Konsep 9 months ago
      :)
    • Douglas 9 months ago
      Man, beat me to the punch. We talk about bad driving, but we also need to address the butchering of our language...
  • FAITH  •  9 months ago
    Los Angeles has the worse tailgators I have ever seen. They stay right on your bumper!!!
    • s2kreno 9 months ago
      Then stop doing 50 in the fast lane, jeez.
    • Paul 9 months ago
      Hard not to be on the guy's bumper in front of you when you are going 10 MPH on the 405.
    • Rocketman1945 9 months ago
      Anyone on my bumper will see a lot of my brake lights (as I slam them on hoping the tailgater will hit me. Then I get a new car).
  • LockNLoad  •  9 months ago
    Driving anywhere in the US sucks...from the morons on cell phones to the idiots that think speeding is cool.
    • anti-Illegals 9 months ago
      Jeez, be glad that you're not driving in other countries.
    • Carol 9 months ago
      If you're only driving the speed limit... then all the people behind you have to do less than the speed limit... it's the slow people that cause the accidents
    • Nick 9 months ago
      Idk about that! I've been to Mexico and seen video of traffic in India, China and the Middle East and they seem to have no regard for safety or even life in general.
  • CarGuy  •  9 months ago
    Its dangerous to drive anywhere today, especially with texting and the attention span of people. Then you got people who forgot their drivers training...............
    • J 9 months ago
      I suppose you take care of that by only riding. It is so much safer.
    • A Yahoo! User 9 months ago
      Exactly right, car guy, especially the part that says YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS!
    • Shane 9 months ago
      I would have to agree ME. But personally for me, when I'm the pedestrian I Yield to the cars because when it comes down to it, who do you think is going to win. Me or the vehicle that weighs several thousand pounds.
  • BrendanB  •  9 months ago
    I like how 4/15 reduces down to 1/3 according to this author!
  • Shirley  •  9 months ago
    I live in Dallas and its the worst I have ever lived in!!!
  • Will  •  9 months ago
    Ohio is the safest because all the jobs are gone and no one lives here anymore.....
  • Obama-Shoeshiner  •  9 months ago
    Miami should be on the top of this list. The people there have their own rules. Taking red lights is normal. Passing on shoulders is normal. Tailgating is normal. Driving on sidewalks and over people's lawns to get ahead of traffic is normal. Driving the center divider to get ahead of everyone else and then get in front of them is normal. Shutting down freeways in order to drag race is normal. Driving the fast lane then stopping suddenly to get hit in the rear to collect is normal. Driving then stopping to block lanes because they want to talk to other cars occupants side by side is normal. Not using turning signals is normal. It is not normal in Miami to see a law abiding citizen!
  • JerzyS  •  9 months ago
    So uhh... Where is Chicago on that list?
  • Doug  •  9 months ago
    I get a real kick out of people who condemn others for driving too slow in the fast or middle lanes of the freeway. In actuality, if you were doing 15 over the limit in the fast lane, there would still be a great many people who would tailgate you to intimidate you to get you to move out of their impatient, rude way. Lots of people like that in this country no matter where you go - and I've been just about everywhere. Some time drive the speed limit on a divided highway right lane. You'll get one after another of drivers on your bumper trying to get you to do something so they don't have to change lanes. I just get irritated and slow down until they pass me in the fast lane.
  • A Yahoo! User  •  9 months ago
    They never even mention phoenix arizona, they crash every minute of the day here.
  • jasonr  •  9 months ago
    Houston, Texas should be #1
    I-45 should I say more?
  • Jenifer  •  9 months ago
    I live in the Ft. Lauderdale area and it makes sense why it is number one on the list. The entire population is mostly comprised of foreigners who drive as if they are still in their own country and they have no respect for traffic laws and other people in general. Also, we have a LOT of drunk drivers on the road added in with the fact that many people are on drugs as well. It seems there is a fatality around where I live everyday. If the economy weren't so bad and my husband could get a job elsewhere I'd move in a heartbeat. I don't understand why Miami isn't also on this list though, it is just as bad.
  • J.  •  9 months ago
    Used to live in God's Waiting Room (Florida) and everyday there would be a story of some old coot driving the wrong way on a city street or expressway totally oblivious to oncoming traffic.
  • Barbi  •  9 months ago
    Why does everyone think that they can drive slow in the left lane? If you want to drive slow, so be it, stay in the dang right lane!!!
  • Just the Facts  •  9 months ago
    As a Traffic Engineer, I deal with multiple states and every type of roadway. The most common errors made by drivers is running red lights, following too closely and not paying attention due to cell phones, radios, or conversations within the motor vehicle.
    If drivers would stop texting, talking and just slowing down in non interstate areas we would see a great deal of these "forced" incidents drop.
  • Stephen  •  9 months ago
    WHAT!!! Have you ever tried to drive the 495 beltway in Wash. DC.There might not be pedestian danger,but it's like a 5 lane roller coaster with no tracks!!

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