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With 4.19 million miles (6.74 million km) of roads, the US is a country built for driving. However, with that many routes to ride on, you can be sure that some roads are going to be less safe than others. In fact, roughly 36,000 people die on American roads each year. And while you can't blame the roads alone, there are certainly some that host more than their fair share of fatal accidents.
With this in mind, click on to discover the most dangerous roads in the US.
Connecting Los Angeles to Las Vegas, the I-15 is largely filled with gamblers dreaming of big winnings on the way east, and disappointed losers on the way back. It's also filled with drivers taking advantage of the long stretches of largely open roads to push their cars to the limit.
Mostly used to transport oil and gas, the Dalton Highway first opened in 1974. The road is incredibly remote, with only three towns along its entire 414-mile (666-km) path from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. Car rental companies don't generally allow their cars on this road, and helicopters make twice daily patrols to look for accidents or breakdowns.
Contained entirely within Arizona, running from Flagstaff to Phoenix, this road is just under 145 miles (234 km) in length, but it averages 0.84 deaths per mile!
Stretching along Maui from Kahului to Hana, although this highway is only about 52 miles (84 km), an uninterrupted car trip takes about 2.5 hours to drive. This is largely because the highway is very winding, narrow, and passes over 59 bridges, of which 46 are only one lane wide.
A 221-mile (356-km) highway, Route 17 has an abundance of sudden curves, narrow lanes, and the occasional wildlife crossing, which makes it a dangerous road.
Running 545 miles (877 km) from Fort Kent, Maine, down to Key West in Florida, Route 1 is a mostly straight route. It has had more than 1,000 fatal crashes over the course of a decade, making it one of the deadliest roads in the country.
Among the longest highways in the US, running from Florida to California, the I-10 has a 391 mile-section (630 km) that runs through Arizona that is the deadliest. With extensive straightaways, those with a need for speed tend to exploit this highway.
Connecting Galveston to Dallas, a recent study found the I-45 suffers, on average, 56.5 traffic fatalities per 100 miles of road.
This highway runs through Orlando, which means it tends to be filled with excited rental-car drivers looking to meet Mickey Mouse. That's a recipe for distracted driving.
Running from the Canadian border all the way down to Mexico, the US-83 goes through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. In Texas, it's particularly dangerous, averaging 26 fatal crashes each year. That's one every other week.
With a scenic open road, extending approximately 666 miles (1,072 km) east to west through remote parts of the Treasure State, the speed limit here is often ignored by drivers.
This 64-mile (102-km) highway loop suffers severe congestion, especially due to big-rig trucks, and confuses drivers with its sharp curves and complex interchanges.
Those headed south to New Orleans will encounter this 24-mile-long (38-km-long) bridge, over nothing but water. Occasional fog makes the trip especially hazardous.
While you'll get stunning views of the San Juan mountains, the steep cliffs by this highway can unfortunately be unsettling to casual motorists. The occasional rock slide and inclement Colorado weather can make this a dangerous ride.
Though it travels from Los Angeles all the way to Tumwater, Washington, the portion of Route 101 that runs through Oregon, known as the Oregon Coast Highway, is especially dangerous. It averages 34 fatal crashes a year over the course of its 363 miles (584 km).
Running from Maine to Florida, the I-95 goes through a lot of cities along its 1,915-mile (3,096-km) path. The interstate is actually the most dangerous highway in Connecticut, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Highway 99 runs through California's Central Valley, spanning 424 miles (683 km) from Wheeler Ridge north to Red Bluff. The highway averages 0.62 fatal crashes per mile.
The second-longest interstate in the US, the I-80 runs from Teaneck, New Jersey, all the way to San Francisco, across 11 states and 2,899 miles (4,668 km). It's also the most dangerous road in Nebraska, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Nevada. Each of those states has an average of 16 fatal crashes each year on their section of the interstate.
The I-65 runs 887 miles (1,428 km) from Gary, Indiana, to Mobile, Alabama. It averages 0.48 deaths per mile overall. It's the most dangerous road in Alabama.
The I-24 runs through four states as it stretches 316 miles (509 km) from Illinois to Tennessee. In 2019, it saw 39 fatal accidents, which equates to 12.3 fatal accidents per 100 miles.
Also known as the Long Beach Freeway, the I-710 is one of the deadliest roads in the US. Running 23 miles (37 km) long, there were 15 fatal accidents in 2019.
Running through Florida, US Route 192 is a short 75-mile (120-km) highway, but it's still dangerous. The road averages 0.87 deaths per mile.
Running an eerie 666 miles (1,071 km) from Alabama to Virginia, the I-85 saw 87 fatal accidents in 2019. That's the equivalent of 13.1 fatal accidents per 100 miles.
Interstate 35 runs for 1,569 miles (2,525 km), from Duluth, Minnesota, to Laredo, Texas. The road averages 0.48 fatal crashes per mile, with an especially dangerous patch in Austin, Texas.
US Route 2 runs from Washington to Michigan, and it's the country's northernmost east-west route. The stretch of highway that runs all the way across Montana is especially dangerous, as it has more fatal crashes than any other road in the state. And because of the remote landscape, the average arrival time for an ambulance to get to a crash is 80 minutes.
Spanning from Michigan to Florida, the I-75 cuts through Detroit, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Tampa, and Miami. It's ranked third for the number of fatal accidents occurring in rainy or snowy weather.
The I-40 runs from Barstow, California, to Wilmington, North Carolina, covering a distance of 2,555 miles (4,114 km). Across the entire highway, there are an average 0.43 fatal crashes per mile, and it's the most dangerous highway in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Tennessee.
Running from Van Horn, Texas, to Jacksonville, Florida, this 1,633-mile (2,628-km) highway is especially dangerous in Louisiana. With an average of 27 fatal crashes every year, it's the most dangerous road in the state.
Running from Wichita Falls, Texas, to Saint Louis, Missouri, the I-44 averages 0.41 fatal crashes per mile of its 633-mile (1,024-km) length.
Sources: (Forbes) (Best Life)
See also: The most dangerous roads on the planet
These are the most dangerous roads in the US
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TRAVEL Driving
With 4.19 million miles (6.74 million km) of roads, the US is a country built for driving. However, with that many routes to ride on, you can be sure that some roads are going to be less safe than others. In fact, roughly 36,000 people die on American roads each year. And while you can't blame the roads alone, there are certainly some that host more than their fair share of fatal accidents.
With this in mind, click on to discover the most dangerous roads in the US.