When looking at a 5-year average of motor vehicle fatality data, the following cities have the highest fatality rates per 100,000 residents:
- Memphis, Tennessee: 25.96 people killed per 100,000 residents
- Detroit, Michigan: 21.47 people killed per 100,000 residents
- Albuquerque, New Mexico 18.11 people per 100,000 residents
- Tucson, Arizona 17.02 people per 100,000 residents
- Kansas City, Missouri 16.85 people per 100,000 residents
- Jacksonville, Florida 16.23 people per 100,000 residents
- Dallas, Texas 15.77 people per 100,000 residents
- Atlanta, Georgia 15.43 people per 100,000 residents
- Tampa, Florida 15.42 people per 100,000 residents
- Louisville, Kentucky 14.99 people per 100,000 residents
- Phoenix, Arizona 14.59 people per 100,000 residents
- Tulsa, Oklahoma 13.4 people per 100,000 residents
- Nashville, Tennessee 13.4 people per 100,000 residents
- Miami, Florida 13.21 people per 100,000 residents
- Indianapolis, Indiana 13.17 people per 100,000 residents
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 12.46 people per 100,000 residents
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin 12.21 people per 100,000 residents
- Fort Worth, Texas 11.48 people per 100,000 residents
- Houston, Texas 11.36 people per 100,000 residents
- Bakersfield, California 10.96 people per 100,000 residents
Memphis, Tennessee, is one of the most dangerous cities for drivers, according to a Forbes Advisor analysis looking at the average rate of fatal accidents between 2017 and 2021.
In Memphis, 25.96 people per 100,000 residents were killed in fatal motor vehicle accidents, the most of any major U.S. city. Detroit, Michigan, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, followed with the highest rate of fatal car crashes per 100,000 residents. Tucson, Arizona, and Kansas City, Missouri, round out the top five.
Texas is home to three of the top 15 cities with the worst drivers, Forbes reported. These cities include Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston.
Key Takeaways
The data Forbes Advisor collected and analyzed reveals clear trends about which cities have the most dangerous drivers.
- Albuquerque, New Mexico, tops the list of cities with the worst drivers, followed by Memphis, Tennessee; Detroit, Michigan; Tucson, Arizona; and Kansas City, Missouri.
- Three of the top 15 cities with the worst drivers are located in Texas, including Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio.
- Three of the top 10 cities with the best drivers are located in California, including San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego.
- Memphis, Tennessee has the highest number of fatal car accidents involving a drunk driver (7.5 per 100,000 city residents) and Albuquerque, New Mexico has the highest number of fatal car accidents involving a distracted driver (5.42 per 100,000 city residents).
- Drunk driving, distracted driving and speeding are common causes of fatal car accidents. In Memphis, fatal car crashes involving drunk driving averaged at 7.5 per 100,000 residents. Detroit and Dallas followed as cities with the highest rates of fatal crashes involving drunk driving.
