When it comes to safety, not all highways are driven equally. There are some highways in the country that are considered more dangerous than others. Value Penguin, a research and analysis organization, studied the data from crashes of country’s highways between 2010 and 2016 to determine the country’s most dangerous highways. Using the three factors of fatal crashes per vehicles miles traveled per capita, fatalities per crash, and the percentage of fatal non-vehicle crashes on each highway. Here are the top five most dangerous highways.
- US-93 Arizona. This highway covers a stretch of 200 miles that takes many drivers between Las Vegas and Phoenix. Between 2010 and 2016, there were 70 fatal crashes with 90 fatalities. While fatality numbers are not the highest out of all highways, they were the most significant when all the factors were considered. Most of these crashes happened on the section of road in Mohave County, Arizona.
- SR-9 Oklahoma. The SR-9 highway is a 348 mile stretch of road going east to west in central Oklahoma. It is the second longest highway in the state. During the time period, there were 50 fatal crashes with 60 fatalities. The highest number of accidents happened along the portion of road in Cleveland County, Oklahoma.
- US-160 Colorado. Many locals in Colorado know that Wolf Creek Pass is a dangerous, high mountain pass where many vehicles have crashed. The steep roads and many switchbacks are dangerous areas during much of the year. During the specified years, there were 99 fatalities in 80 fatal crashes. The most dangerous part of the road is the section that goes through La Plata County as a whole.
- 1-5 California. California has many highways that run north to south and this one is nearly 800 miles, stretching from Oregon to the Mexican border. Even though it passes through many big cities, the most dangerous portion of the highway is through Los Angeles County, where traffic is heaviest. Between 2010 and 2016, there were 680 fatal crashes with 768 fatalities.
- I-10 Texas. Another highway that spans the length of a state, this one stretches from near New Mexico all the way to Texas-Louisiana border. It travels through several big cities, including El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio. With 585 fatal crashes with a total of 676 fatalities, the section with the highest fatalities is through Harris County.
Safe Driving Tips
The best way to stay safe on these highways and any highway is to stay vigilant. Pay attention to your surroundings by not being distracted. Remember all the basics from driving school; stay off your cellphone while driving and keep eating to a minimum while driving. Also keep alert by not driving drowsy or drinking and driving. Watch your speed and don’t engage in aggressive driving behaviors toward other drivers. And most importantly, make sure you and everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seatbelt.
If you are interested in learning more safe driver techniques, enroll in new driver training courses or take a review driving class. Keeping your driving skills sharp can make all the difference in staying safe on the roads.