NATIONAL RANKING

Safest States for Driving

All 51 US states ranked by road fatality rate per 100,000 population, from safest to deadliest. Lower rates mean fewer deaths relative to population. NHTSA FARS data.

Massachusetts
#1 Safest State
4.9
Lowest rate per 100k

Massachusetts

#1 safest state at 4.9 per 100k residents

6.9

National average per 100k (50 states plus DC)

1.7x

How much safer MA is vs. the deadliest state (CT)

Top 10 Safest States by Fatality Rate

Road deaths per 100,000 population. Lower values indicate safer roads relative to population size.

per 100k

What this shows Massachusetts has the lowest fatality rate at 4.9 per 100,000 residents, well below the national average of 6.9.

Source NHTSA FARS As of 2023
# State Rate / 100K VMT Rate Total Fatalities Latest Year Drunk % Speed % Trend
1 Massachusetts (MA) 4.9 0.6 3,303 343 25.0% 25.0% ↓ decreasing
2 New York (NY) 5.7 0.9 9,578 1,114 18.1% 6.6% ↓ decreasing
3 District of Columbia (DC) 6.5 1.3 288 44 25.7% 45.5% ↑ increasing
4 Hawaii (HI) 6.5 0.9 933 93 33.3% 30.4% ↓ decreasing
5 New Jersey (NJ) 6.5 0.8 5,481 606 22.8% 11.3% ↓ decreasing
6 Rhode Island (RI) 6.5 0.9 549 71 32.2% 19.9% ↑ increasing
7 Minnesota (MN) 7.1 0.7 3,641 409 26.9% 26.0% ↓ decreasing
8 Alaska (AK) 8.2 1.1 651 60 33.2% 37.8% ↓ decreasing
9 Utah (UT) 8.2 0.8 2,547 280 19.6% 28.3% ↓ decreasing
10 Connecticut (CT) 8.5 1.0 2,673 308 32.0% 33.1% ↓ decreasing

What Makes a State Safer?

States with lower fatality rates often benefit from combinations of factors: stricter traffic enforcement, better road infrastructure, lower speed limits, urban density (lower-speed roads), stronger seatbelt laws, and lower rates of alcohol-impaired driving. Population density plays a role too — states with more urban driving tend to have lower-speed collisions that are less likely to be fatal.

← Deadliest States Rankings Hub

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Rates are per 100,000 population