New Mexico and More US States US States Have the Deadliest Roads When Every Mile Driven Is Counted

Written By: Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar is a Senior Journalist at Travel and Tour World with more than 10 years of experience in travel and tourism journalism. A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, he combines strong research, industry knowledge and storytelling expertise to produce engaging, insightful and impactful travel news and fascinating feature stories.

See Full Bio

September 11, 2026 19:56 GMT+5:30

Image generated with Ai

New Mexico and more US states have the deadliest roads when every mile driven is counted, exposing a startling road-risk divide that raw crash totals can easily hide. South Carolina has America’s most dangerous roads when every mile driven counts, while Texas records more fatal crashes. The sharp contrast exposes where driving is riskiest across US states.

New Mexico and more US states have the deadliest roads when every mile driven is counted, according to a recent US road-safety comparison. The ranking changes the way travellers view dangerous roads. Instead of relying only on total crashes, the analysis measures fatal accidents against Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT). As a result, states with fewer crashes can rank above larger states with far more collisions. New Mexico, for example, recorded 1.49 fatal crashes per 100 million miles driven during 2020–2024. Meanwhile, South Carolina led the comparison. Texas recorded the most fatal crashes, yet its per-mile rate was considerably lower. The difference is significant for travellers.

South Carolina has emerged as the US state with the highest fatal crash rate when road danger is measured against miles driven. A September 2026 study by Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers compared fatal motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian deaths and Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) across all 50 states. The result changes the picture created by raw crash totals. Texas records far more fatal crashes, yet its rate per 100 million miles is lower than South Carolina’s. Meanwhile, Arizona, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana also rank among the riskiest states. The comparison shows why travel distance, road conditions and rural driving matter when assessing road safety.

South Carolina Tops US Road Danger Ranking as Texas Records More Fatal Crashes

Road safety in the United States looks markedly different when fatal crashes are assessed against the distance motorists actually travel.

A September 2026 study from Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers ranks South Carolina as the US state with the highest fatal motor vehicle crash rate per 100 million miles driven. Its finding provides a different perspective from conventional rankings based simply on the number of crashes or population.

The study examined road safety across all 50 states during 2020–2024. It considered fatal motor vehicle crashes, pedestrian traffic fatalities and total Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT), then combined these indicators into a Composite Risk Score.

South Carolina recorded a 1.71 fatal-crash rate per 100 million miles, giving it a Composite Risk Score of 91 out of 100.

South Carolina vs Texas: A Major Difference

The contrast between South Carolina and Texas is particularly striking.

Texas recorded 19,209 fatal motor vehicle crashes during the five-year period, compared with 5,019 in South Carolina. On the surface, Texas therefore appears considerably more dangerous.

However, Texas motorists travelled approximately 1.445 billion million miles over the five-year period in the study’s VMT measure, while South Carolina recorded 293.288 billion miles.

That difference changes the calculation.

South Carolina’s fatal crash rate reached 1.71 per 100 million miles, compared with 1.33 in Texas. In other words, South Carolina’s rate was approximately 28.6% higher than Texas’s.

The finding illustrates why total crash counts alone can be misleading when comparing states with dramatically different road networks, populations and travel volumes.

The comparison shows that Texas has the largest absolute number of fatal crashes among the top 10, while South Carolina has the highest risk once travel distance is considered.

Arizona and Tennessee Also Stand Out

Arizona ranks second with a fatal crash rate of 1.54 per 100 million miles and a Composite Risk Score of 87.

The state recorded 5,558 fatal crashes between 2020 and 2024, along with 1,340 pedestrian traffic fatalities. Its pedestrian death figure is considerably higher than South Carolina’s 898 despite Arizona having fewer overall vehicle miles travelled.

Tennessee ranks third, with a rate of 1.45 and a Composite Risk Score of 84. Its 5,874 fatal crashes occurred across more than 404 billion miles of travel.

This makes Tennessee another example of how road danger cannot be understood simply by counting crashes.

Mississippi and Louisiana Show Another Warning Sign

Mississippi ranks fourth with a Composite Risk Score of 82.

The state had 3,371 fatal motor vehicle crashes and 467 pedestrian traffic fatalities over five years. Its fatal crash rate reached 1.66 per 100 million miles, which is actually higher than Arizona’s 1.54, although its overall Composite Risk Score remains lower.

Louisiana ranks fifth, with 3,960 fatal crashes, 815 pedestrian fatalities and a rate of 1.47 per 100 million miles.

The study also highlights a worrying trend in Mississippi and Louisiana, where accident statistics have worsened in recent years, alongside New Mexico.

Florida and Texas Have the Biggest Absolute Numbers

Florida presents a different road-safety challenge.

The state recorded 15,959 fatal crashes between 2020 and 2024 and 3,765 pedestrian traffic fatalities. Its enormous travel volume, exceeding 1.14 billion million miles in the study’s VMT measure, produces a fatal crash rate of 1.40 per 100 million miles.

Texas recorded an even larger 19,209 fatal crashes, the highest total among the states listed. It also recorded 3,937 pedestrian traffic fatalities, the highest pedestrian figure in the top 10.

Yet Texas ranked ninth on the Composite Risk Score, at 77, demonstrating the substantial effect of travel volume on comparative road-risk calculations.

Why Rural Roads Matter

Ruben Davidoff, Managing Partner at Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers, attributed much of the difference between raw crash totals and per-mile fatality rates to rural roads.

He said South Carolina’s fatality rate is about 70% above the national average, with many fatal accidents occurring on rural roads where higher speeds, poorer road conditions, longer emergency response times and lower seat-belt compliance can increase the consequences of crashes.

For travellers, this distinction matters.

A destination may have fewer crashes in absolute terms but still present a greater risk on individual journeys. Rural highways, long-distance routes and roads with limited emergency infrastructure can create different safety conditions from heavily travelled urban corridors.

What the US State Comparison Means for Travellers

The study does not suggest that every road in a high-ranking state is inherently unsafe. Instead, it identifies broader patterns in fatal crash exposure.

For motorists crossing state lines, the figures reinforce the value of defensive driving, particularly on rural routes. Travellers should account for speed, fatigue, road conditions, weather and seat-belt use rather than relying on a state’s overall reputation.

Pedestrians also form an important part of the picture. Arizona, Florida, Texas and Georgia recorded particularly high pedestrian fatality totals among the leading states, showing that road safety extends beyond drivers.

The most important takeaway is therefore comparative: the state with the most crashes is not necessarily the state where each mile of driving carries the greatest fatal-crash risk.

South Carolina’s first-place position demonstrates precisely that.

“Road safety is an increasingly important part of the travel experience, and this study offers a valuable perspective by looking beyond headline crash numbers. South Carolina’s position demonstrates how travel volume can fundamentally change the way road risk is understood. For travellers, the findings are a useful reminder to remain alert, particularly on rural routes and during long-distance journeys. At Travel And Tour World, we believe data-led reporting such as this helps the global travel community make better-informed decisions. Comparing US states through actual driving exposure provides a clearer picture of risk and adds meaningful context for motorists, tourists and travel planners alike.”

South Carolina now stands out in this US state-wise comparison because its 1.71 fatal crashes per 100 million miles is the highest rate among the states examined, even though Texas records substantially more fatal crashes overall. Arizona, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana also show elevated road risk, while Florida and Texas carry enormous absolute crash and pedestrian fatality totals because of their much larger travel volumes. The cause is not simply traffic. Rural roads, higher speeds, road conditions, delayed emergency response and seat-belt compliance can all influence fatal outcomes. The answer is to assess road safety using multiple measures rather than crash totals alone. Consequently, VMT provides important context for travellers and policymakers. The comparison does not mean every road in a high-risk state is dangerous, but it clearly shows that South Carolina carries the greatest fatal-crash exposure per mile among the leading states in this study.

New Mexico and more US states have the deadliest roads when every mile driven is counted, but the figures reveal a more complicated picture than headline crash totals suggest. The cause is partly linked to how frequently and how far people drive, alongside road design, rural routes, speed, emergency response and driver behaviour. The answer is to measure risk against actual travel exposure. This approach explains why South Carolina ranked highest, while New Mexico reached a 1.49 fatal-crash rate per 100 million miles and Texas, despite recording the most fatal crashes, ranked lower on a per-mile basis. Therefore, travellers should not judge road danger solely by the number of crashes in a state. Instead, the reason these rankings matter is simple: every journey creates exposure to risk, and comparing fatalities with miles driven provides a clearer measure of that exposure.