Most Dangerous Highways in the US

[Stevicus]

The Most Dangerous US Highways for Summer Travel | ASecureLife.com

The top five were:

I-5 in California (192 fatalities)
US Rt. 1 in Florida (160)
I-10 in Texas (154)
I-75 in Georgia (111)
I-10 in Arizona (100)

However, one thing to keep in mind is that number of fatalities may not take into consideration the traffic volume or other factors that might contribute to accidents.

Still, there's a lot of crazed drivers out there, so I try to always drive defensively. The way some traffic bunches up on the freeway, one slight mistake from any driver could cause a major pile-up.

I see it every day. It's clear that there's too many motorists whose minds are not on their driving.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

That small stretch of I-15 in Nevada is where my car broke down. Lots of mountains there, steep declines, lots of curves, some people going too fast, and it's very hot (towtruck guy told that road is absolute hell on cars). I'm really surprised the 40 through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California isn't there, because it's very easy to go very fast there - last time I made the trip from Indiana to California I saw at least a few wrecks, on of them being on fire.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I did see one little inaccuracy in the map, which I have corrected:

 

[Ellen Brown]

Lately, I think that I-15 around Salt Lake City is pretty awful. The drivers are very aggressive and ignore the speed limit.

There is a 90 Degree turn in I-70 (?) just east of Cleveland. What the H were they thinking?

 

[Revoltingest]

Dang, I've driven a lot of those.
No accidents though.

 

[Brickjectivity]

The Most Dangerous US Highways for Summer Travel | ASecureLife.com

The top five were:

I-5 in California (192 fatalities)
US Rt. 1 in Florida (160)
I-10 in Texas (154)
I-75 in Georgia (111)
I-10 in Arizona (100)

However, one thing to keep in mind is that number of fatalities may not take into consideration the traffic volume or other factors that might contribute to accidents.

Still, there's a lot of crazed drivers out there, so I try to always drive defensively. The way some traffic bunches up on the freeway, one slight mistake from any driver could cause a major pile-up.

I see it every day. It's clear that there's too many motorists whose minds are not on their driving.

I drive a car in the Southeast. We have short on and off ramps and an assortment of vehicles, some of which have low acceleration. Drivers expect to have to let people in from their on ramps. That's a slight problem, because we get drivers with other driving styles. We also have some extremely strange driving practices in Alabama towards Atlanta. If you ever drive through Atlanta be prepared to see some strange driving antics in a high pressure situation. You've got people going 85 and the occasional dotard going only 45 with cars stacking up behind, and I've seen this twice out of my three passes through there. I've seen some heavy tailgating, and I don't mean tailgating of trucks but of cars tailgating cars for many miles. Dangerous? Oh yes. I also had a concrete truck almost drive through my car. It was on some curve, and the truck wasn't able to stay in its lane. I've only been through Atlanta (and the surrounding cities) three times. It was exciting every time. If I had to go through regularly I'd decrease my life expectancy by a year or two.

Something I notice is that the DMV manuals suggest that faster traffic should stay on the left, but the manuals don't make enough suggestions. They should suggest that there be a speed differential when possible. In other words if you've got 2 lanes in the same direction, there should be at least a 5mph speed differential between the two lanes to prevent traffic from backing up. Trouble starts when everyone goes exactly the same speed in both lanes.

Never, ever get off of the interstate to buy gas in a metropolitan area. Don't do that. Wait until you are on the edge of town, and look for a busy fuel station. Just because there is a gas station doesn't mean you should stop. Gas stations will set up anywhere, sometimes in dangerous places; and I mean high crime areas. You go to some five pump gas station, and there may be jobless people hanging about, a clerk hidden behind bullet proof glass and police cars visiting every twenty minutes to keep the jobless people from shoplifting. I've been there and I have since learned not to be there. These are not imaginary places. They're kind of rare, but if you don't know the area don't just pick just any gas station in the city.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

We have short on and off ramps and an assortment of vehicles,

You do. I don't like them because it seems like you blink and you might miss them. Maybe you can have some of California's "yeah, I really don't think we actually need them this long" lengthy exits?

Something I notice is that the DMV manuals suggest that faster traffic should stay on the left, but the manuals don't make enough suggestions. They should suggest that there be a speed differential when possible. In other words if you've got 2 lanes in the same direction, there should be at least a 5mph speed differential between the two lanes to prevent traffic from backing up. Trouble starts when everyone goes exactly the same speed in both lanes.

Technically, if the sign says 55 it doesn't matter what lane, if you're doing 56 you can get pulled over.

Never, ever get off of the interstate to buy gas in a metropolitan area.

It just depends on where you're at. Sometimes, for some, a metro area is a safer place. You just have to watch your surroundings. And sometimes going on could push your car's gas tank than what is comfortable. And some of those busy outskit of town gas stations have a few too many trucks and confederate flags for my comfort. And even if they don't have that, I've still been harassed.
If it's a new route to me and I don't know what's ahead (and sometimes even with familiar routes if it's a place around when I know I'll need gas), I try to stop at the bigger truck stop/"travel centers" once I'm close to needing gas. It's also nice for long trips that they have about anything you'd need to stop for. And their bathrooms are usually clean.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Dang, I've driven a lot of those.
No accidents though.

That map made me realize I've definitely been around the block.

 

[Father Heathen]

That map made me realize I've definitely been around the block.

I would love to road trip out west and experience the desert someday. The furthest I've driven is the 14ish hour drive between NE IN and SE VA.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Ive been on almost all of them. But the worst, to me, is US Rt. 431 through Alabama.

Alabama's 'Highway to Hell' named one of the world's most dangerous roads - Yellowhammer News

 

[Brickjectivity]

Technically, if the sign says 55 it doesn't matter what lane, if you're doing 56 you can get pulled over.

One secret is that police regulations specify a different sort of enforcement than that. They generally look for speeders going +10mph. They can pull you for +5mph and in some places they will. In others they'll wait until you're going +15mph.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

However, one thing to keep in mind is that number of fatalities may not take into consideration the traffic volume or other factors that might contribute to accidents.

Also length of the road.

To normalize data like this, you'd need to put it in terms of collisions per million vehicle-miles (or 100 million vehicle-miles for fatal collisions, if you want numbers that are easier to work with). That would give an indication of relative level of safety.

I wonder if they're including collisions at ramp intersections as being "on the interstate."

 

[BSM1]

I can actually say that I have driven the entirety of VA 58 without being killed even once...

 

[shmogie]

The Most Dangerous US Highways for Summer Travel | ASecureLife.com

The top five were:

I-5 in California (192 fatalities)
US Rt. 1 in Florida (160)
I-10 in Texas (154)
I-75 in Georgia (111)
I-10 in Arizona (100)

However, one thing to keep in mind is that number of fatalities may not take into consideration the traffic volume or other factors that might contribute to accidents.

Still, there's a lot of crazed drivers out there, so I try to always drive defensively. The way some traffic bunches up on the freeway, one slight mistake from any driver could cause a major pile-up.

I see it every day. It's clear that there's too many motorists whose minds are not on their driving.

Agreed, However, pure rudeness and stupidity play a part as well.

I don´t know about the rest of the country, but in the West many drive faster than the speed limit. There is nothing more infuriating than slower drivers driving in the fast lane, and refusing to move into the slow lane/s as the law requires. Irritated drivers pile up behind them and take chances trying to get around them. In Arizona they are usually snow birds. State highway 60 is the main east to west artery in my part of Az. it is two lanes and the limit is 65. Nothing more of a test of patience than a ol´ farmboy and the missus from North Dakota driving at 40 mph. oogling the beautiful desert with 18 cars in tow waiting for the passing lane in 11 miles, one has had enough and crosses the double yellow, and all do. My favorite though occurs on I -10 where the speed limit is 75 MPH, and there are two semi´s side by side, one in the fast, one in the slow doing 60 MPH. Always makes my day.

Rude and illegal behavior. Thanks for the chance to vent, I feel better !!

Rude and illegal behavior, and dangerous.

 

[Stevicus]

Agreed, However, pure rudeness and stupidity play a part as well.

I don´t know about the rest of the country, but in the West many drive faster than the speed limit. There is nothing more infuriating than slower drivers driving in the fast lane, and refusing to move into the slow lane/s as the law requires. Irritated drivers pile up behind them and take chances trying to get around them. In Arizona they are usually snow birds. State highway 60 is the main east to west artery in my part of Az. it is two lanes and the limit is 65. Nothing more of a test of patience than a ol´ farmboy and the missus from North Dakota driving at 40 mph. oogling the beautiful desert with 18 cars in tow waiting for the passing lane in 11 miles, one has had enough and crosses the double yellow, and all do. My favorite though occurs on I -10 where the speed limit is 75 MPH, and there are two semi´s side by side, one in the fast, one in the slow doing 60 MPH. Always makes my day.

Rude and illegal behavior. Thanks for the chance to vent, I feel better !!

Rude and illegal behavior, and dangerous.

They've been slowly widening I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix, but it's in pretty rough shape in spots. But it's often just as you describe, with an odd, unstable mix of fast and slow drivers that start to bunch up.

The worst are those who will speed up, either to pass you or to prevent you from passing them - but once they're in front of you, they slow down to a snail's pace. I was driving somewhere near Lake Havasu or Needles - somewhere around there on a two-lane highway through some mountainous terrain. Got stuck behind a guy from Washington (they're always from Washington) pulling a trailer. Slower than molasses in winter. I just couldn't get around him, until we hit an upgrade that had a rare passing lane. Fortunately, I was able to overtake him, but I could tell he was desperately trying to increase his speed so I wouldn't. He was probably mad at me because I foiled his strategy.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Agreed, However, pure rudeness and stupidity play a part as well.

I don´t know about the rest of the country, but in the West many drive faster than the speed limit. There is nothing more infuriating than slower drivers driving in the fast lane, and refusing to move into the slow lane/s as the law requires. Irritated drivers pile up behind them and take chances trying to get around them. In Arizona they are usually snow birds. State highway 60 is the main east to west artery in my part of Az. it is two lanes and the limit is 65. Nothing more of a test of patience than a ol´ farmboy and the missus from North Dakota driving at 40 mph. oogling the beautiful desert with 18 cars in tow waiting for the passing lane in 11 miles, one has had enough and crosses the double yellow, and all do. My favorite though occurs on I -10 where the speed limit is 75 MPH, and there are two semi´s side by side, one in the fast, one in the slow doing 60 MPH. Always makes my day.

Rude and illegal behavior. Thanks for the chance to vent, I feel better !!

Rude and illegal behavior, and dangerous.

About those snowbirds: at least in Ontario, the double yellow line is advisory, not regulatory. If it's safe to pass - e.g. the vehicle ahead is really slow and you can see that it's clear - it's legal here to cross a double yellow to do it.

This doesn't mean they shouldn't know the rules of the road in the state they're in, but some of the snowbird behaviour might be from drivers not realizing that the rules are different.

 

[Ellen Brown]

One secret is that police regulations specify a different sort of enforcement than that. They generally look for speeders going +10mph. They can pull you for +5mph and in some places they will. In others they'll wait until you're going +15mph.

I remember driving as fast as I wanted to in the 70s in very rural Eastern Oregon. No more though. Speed traps are used as an income source now days. A few years ago, I got a ticket out there for 81 MPH. I had been doing about 120 but had slowed down because I knew my turn was coming.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I would love to road trip out west and experience the desert someday.

I will take the dry heat of the desert over that nasty crap of heat and humidity that Indiana has any day, but overall I don't find the desert that impressive. It's hot, I don't know what I'm looking for or where to make it fascinating, it's a bunch of rocks and dirt and some very hardy and stubborn plants, and from the what I've gotten too see (which isn't much, granted), the night sky is about the same as it is in rural Indiana. And as far as driving goes, it is a ton of ups and downs.
I also noticed that I-15 is not the road my car broke down on. I realized that 15 there just didn't sound right on my trip, and it was around 163/95 (outside of Laughlin, NV) where my car's radiator and engine blew. But when you're coming out of Kingman, AZ, after you get around the mountains, the view of Bullhead City AZ and Laughlin NV with the Colorado River is impressive.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

One secret is that police regulations specify a different sort of enforcement than that. They generally look for speeders going +10mph. They can pull you for +5mph and in some places they will. In others they'll wait until you're going +15mph.

That isn't official, and any ticket or fine schedule I've seen has a place for 1 - 5 or (1 - 10) MPH over speed limit. That "secret" is utter bunk. If anyone promotes it, it's a decision of an individual precinct/jurisdiction/city for whatever reason they decided. And this idea of "police regulations," there really aren't any at the federal level outside of Constitutional law, and there are few at the state level. It's often a county or city thing. It can even be, and is here and there, down to individual precincts to decide how they do things.