The 20 Worst Roads in America in 2019
When Americans leave their homes to commute to their jobs, school, to go on a shopping trip or take a vacation, there is a high chance that they’ll encounter roads that are in poor shape. The conditions of American roads are costing consumers more in vehicle repairs than ever before. While some states are faring better than others when it comes to the condition of their roads, there are some which are simply dangerous to drive over. Some are hazardous because of their location and have high incidences of accidents and even fatalities. We researched this important topic and learned which roads in the United States are considered to be the most dangerous to your car and even your life. Here are the 20 worst roads in America for 2019.
20. Sierra Highway, California – 2.85 fatal crashes per mile
The Sierra Highway in California is a short stretch of the roadway but it has a high number of fatal crashes per mile. The segment length is just 3.51 miles and it averages 10 accidents per year where fatalities are involved. It is listed as the worst stretch of highway in the State of California, so drivers beware if you have to travel on this very short stretch of road because it’s known to be treacherous.
19. Florida Avenue, California – 2.16 crashes per mile
Florida Avenue in California runs a close second to Sierra Highway. It averages 8 auto accidents per year which involve at least one fatality. This portion of the road is only 3.7 miles in length, but the statistics indicate that Florida Avenue averages 2.16 fatalities per mile for this section. It’s a road that requires drivers to maintain a consistent vigilance and constant caution when driving the short stretch because you don’t want to add to the statistics. It’s one of the worst roads concerning danger.
18 Georgia I-75 –Â 111 fatalities
One of the worst roads in the state of Georgia is 1-75. This stretch is infamous for fatal car accidents and it recorded 111 fatalities between 2015 and 2017, with most of them occurring between May through September. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has even looked into the potential causes for the high number of accidents on this segment of the interstate.
17. Texas I-69C Edinburg – 8.05 fatalities per mile
I-69 is a stretch of road in Edinburg, Texas that is just 1.49 miles in length, and it’s one of the most dangerous roads in the state. The statistics for this roadshow that between 2013 and 2015, there were seven fatal auto accidents and from these, twelve people died. This has given the segment a terrible reputation for being one of the worst parts of the road to travel across in the state of Texas, and it’s a mighty big state.
16. Texas 1-45 – 50 fatalities in 46 crashes
The stretch of road in Houston, Texas from Tidwell Road to the south junction where it makes the I-610 loop is one of the worst segments of the road, coming in second to I-69C in the state. There is an 11-mile segment of the road that has been the location of 46 motor vehicle accidents that claimed the lives of 50 people. This is a significantly high number of fatalities.
15. California I-5 – 192 fatalities
I-5 in California has the highest death toll in the state with 192 fatalities recorded due to motor vehicle accidents. According to the reports, the majority of accidents occur from May through September on this portion of the roadway system. Besides, most of the fatal accidents occur after dark and on weekends.
14. California U.S. 101 – 139 fatalities
Californian U.S. 101 follows I-5 for being one of the worst roads in the state for danger. It is on the list of the most dangerous highways in the United States because of the high number of accidents that result in death, and this isn’t counting the number of accidents that did not include fatalities. These are figures which have been taken from the National Highway Safety Administration.
13. California 99 – 110 fatalities
In the same report that discusses the worst roads in the country for crashes with fatalities, California 99 was also listed as one of the worst roads for auto accident frequency. Further information collected for statistical purposes has shown that teenage drivers are more at risk for a fatal crash on this portion of the roadway. There have been 110 fatalities on this part of the road making it the 13th worst road to travel.
12. Massachusetts I-495 – 95 fatalities in 87 crashes
This road has been categorized as a “uniquely bad road” because of its long history of fatal accidents. This part of the interstate is listed as one of the most dangerous highways in the nation, and the worst in the state of Massachusetts. The reasons cited for this bad reputation are drivers who make high speed trips between Maine and the midwest, those who make short runs to pick up groceries who are driving slower and a dynamic that occurs at a local metropolitan bypass between fast traffic in a hurry to get where they’re going and slower traffic which causes collisions. It’s been referred to as a bad mix of different types of drivers that leads to fatal accidents. The highest incidences of fatalities have happened in the northbound lanes and the toll was recorded as 33 deaths between 2015 adn 2017 in the summer months.
11.Massachusetts I-195 East – 9 fatalities
I-95 East is the stretch of interstate that goes from Rhode Island to the Cape. This is one of the most treacherous segments of roadway, particularly when there are heavy snowfall and slippery roads. The National Highway Safety Administration has determined that it’s a road with heavy traffic that gets hectic and packed with drivers who are on their way to the beach with teen drivers out on summer break, families taking long road trips with the Cape as their destination and it’s a mix of a variety of different drivers that creates a dynamic that leads to an increase in fatal auto accidents during both summer and winter seasons.
10. I-75 Florida to Michigan – 47.2 accidents per 100 miles
Crashes occur almost every day on this segment of the interstate which makes it one of the worst roads in the nation. I-75 gets shut down at least once every nine days from an accident that causes extreme interruptions in traffic flow. Part of the problem is the congestion on the roadway because this is one of Florida’s busiest interstates. Slowdowns are common and the condition of the road is deteriorating. It is estimated that by 2020 portions of this road along with the west coast of the state will fail to result in the necessity of a shutdown and mandatory repairs with even more delays.
9. Interstate 20 Texas – 332 fatalities
In the amount of time that the National Highway Safety Administration has been collecting data about road safety, Interstate 320 in Texas has been ranked as the worst road in the entire state. There have been hundreds of motor vehicle crashes which have resulted in a total number of 332 lives lost. This is one of the worst stretches of road in the United States because of the high number of crashes that take place each year.
8. S. Highway 59 – 268 fatalities
Another notably bad road in Texas is S. Highway 59. Locals in the area are aware of the fact that this is one of the worst roads in their area. It is ranked as the second-worst road in the State of Texas and there have been hundreds of auto accidents resulting in 268 deaths. Most drivers who are from the area know that they must use extreme caution when traveling on this portion of the road system in Texas.
7. Arizona I-40 – 293 fatalities
Arizona’s Interstate 40 is noted as one of the most dangerous highways in the United States during the summer months. A study was conducted because of the high number of accidents that happen on the road, resulting in at least one or more deaths. This road stretches for 329 miles through the state of Arizona and during the time that the study was being conducted, there were 100 fatalities.
6. Florida US-17 – 420 fatalities
This road runs from Florida to the state of Virginia. There are on average 10.9 fatal accidents for every 100 miles of road. The statistics show that there have been 130 deaths on this road which were caused by drunk drivers. It is considered a highway with the highest number of drunks on the road, making it one of the worst roads to travel because of this danger.
5.U.S. 27 Florida – 529 fatal crashes 614 deaths
U.S. 27 Florida is ranked as one of the worst roads in the nation because of the high number of fatal crashes. The statistics show that there have been a total of 529 crashes that have been reported which resulted in the deaths of 614 people. This number is astronomically high, making it the fifth-worst road in the nation.
4. U.S. 441 – 442 fatalities
U.S. 441 in Florida is a notorious stretch of road that cuts from the tip of the state to the center. It’s a 939-mile stretch that extends into Tennessee and Georgia. It is also known as State Road 7 in Miami and is used as a commuter route. This part of the road is highly susceptible to intersection accidents and T-Bone crashes and it’s listed in the top 5 worst roads in the nation. There have been 417 deadly car accidents tht resulted in the death of 442 people.
3. State Road 826 Miami-Dade
State Road 826 is also known as the Palmetto Expressway. It’s the third-worst highway in the United States. Each day over a quarter of a million vehicles travels over this stretch of road. It links Route 1 into Pinecrest in Sunny Isles Beach. The Palmetto Expressway is a highly congested commuter road. Although there were just 8 deadly car accidents listed for 2016, it is considered to be one of the worst roads in the country because of the extreme congestion.
2. US 41 Tampa – 714 Fatalities
A recent study on the worst roads in America listed U.S. 41 Tampa as the second-worst road in the nation because of its high ranking among the deadliest. Geotab conducted a 10-year traffic data study and in their findings, this road came up second as having the highest number of fatal car crashes in the last ten years. Wait till you see which road made number one.
1. Florida U.S. 1 – 1,079 fatalities
U.S. 1 is the worst road in America with the highest number of fatal car crashes. Out of 1,011 accidents, there have been 1,079 deaths within the last ten years. The U.S. – 1 is a stretch of highway that runs through thirteen counties along the east coast of Florida and it extends for almost 530 miles. If you’re planning to take a trip that requires you to travel on this road, then you’ll want to remember these statistics and take extra care while driving because other drivers may not be as attentive.
