Florida had the highest rate of fatal crashes relative to the size of its National Highway System network in a new analysis of federal transportation data.
The study conducted by Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers analyzed fatal highway crashes between 2020 and 2024 alongside National Highway System road mileage to determine which states have the highest rates of fatal crashes on their highways.
Researchers calculated that Florida recorded 17.70 fatal crashes annually for every 100 miles of National Highway System roadway, the highest rate among the 50 states included in the analysis.
Florida had 8,847 miles of roadway in the National Highway System in 2024, according to Federal Highway Administration data used in the study.
The number of fatal highway crashes in Florida reached 1,622 in 2020 and increased to 1,747 in 2021 before declining in subsequent years. The study reported 1,382 fatal highway crashes in Florida in 2024.
California ranked second with 13.81 fatal crashes per 100 highway miles, followed by Maryland at 12.03, Arizona at 11.90 and New Jersey at 11.54.
California averaged more fatal highway crashes in raw numbers than Florida, with 2,013 annually during the five-year period. However, the study ranked states according to crashes relative to National Highway System mileage rather than total crashes.
Tennessee ranked seventh at 10.68 fatal crashes per 100 highway miles, while South Carolina ranked eighth at 10.27. Delaware, Hawaii and Louisiana also finished among the 10 states with the highest rates.
At the other end of the ranking, North Dakota recorded the lowest rate at 1.06 fatal crashes per 100 highway miles. South Dakota followed at 1.48, while Alaska registered 1.76 and Wyoming recorded 2.02.
The results do not measure the number of crashes relative to population, vehicle miles traveled or the number of drivers using each state’s highways. Instead, researchers divided the average number of annual fatal highway crashes from 2020 through 2024 by each state’s 2024 National Highway System mileage.
Crash data used in the analysis came from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, while highway-mileage figures came from the Federal Highway Administration’s 2024 Highway Statistics report.
Beck & Beck Car Accident Lawyers, which commissioned the analysis, is a Missouri law firm representing clients in vehicle accident and personal injury cases.
