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Study: Detroit is 3rd least safe city for drivers in US

Researchers compare fatal crashes, DUI arrests, more in major cities

Photo by Maxwell Ridgeway on Unsplash (Unsplash)

DETROIT – In and near the Motor City, there are, of course, lots of cars on the road.

But, despite being a region known for its automobiles, a study finds Detroit is one of the least safe major U.S. cities when it comes to driving -- and it’s not because of road conditions. Researchers compared fatal crashes, DUI arrests and more across the biggest U.S. cities on their quest to find out which are the the safest and the least safe of them all.

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We’re taking a look at the study’s findings here.

What the study looked at

Driving in Detroit is also a fairly unsafe endeavor, according to a separate study by U.S. News & World Report.

The study looked at the 50 largest cities in the U.S. to determine how safe or unsafe they were, and ranked them in terms of safety.

Researchers examined each major city and considered a number of factors, including:

  • fatal car crashes per capita between 2016-2020;
  • how many people were involved in those crashes;
  • the average fatality rate per miles traveled in each state between 2019-2021;
  • the number of DUI arrests per capita in each state between 2017-2019; and
  • the rate of car thefts between 2019-2021.

What the study found

Based on their research, the Motor City was ranked third on the list of least safe U.S. cities for driving.

Specific details weren’t provided about their findings for Detroit, but it’s reasonable to surmise that the city ranked high in fatal traffic crashes and the amount of people involved in those crashes between 2016-2020. Those two categories were weighted more heavily in the study’s rankings, each accounting for 35% of the ranking value, respectively.

Coming in first place as the least safe driving city in the country is Memphis, Tennessee -- which reportedly ranked first for fatal car crashes. Albuquerque, New Mexico came in second place with the highest fatality rate per 100 million miles traveled, the report said. Louisville, Kentucky came in fourth place, and Tuscon, Arizona came in fifth.

Here are the 10 least safe cities to drive in, according to the study:

The 10 least-safe U.S. cities for driving, according to a report by U.S. News & World Report. Image courtesy of the report, published in March 2023. (U.S. News & World Report)

The most safe major U.S. cities for driving actually surprised me.

If you’ve ever been to New York City, you know that their streets are like a whole other world. The drivers there have what feels like their own language ... and absolutely no patience for nonsense. Everyone is zipping around faster than light -- and yet, the city ranks No. 2 on the list of safest U.S. cities for driving.

Boston came in first place as the safest driving town, as it’s considered the “least risky overall for drivers,” the report said. Boston reportedly ranked last in motor thefts per 100,000 people, and last for DUI arrests per capita.

Honolulu, Hawaii ranked in third place on the safest list, while Washington, D.C. came in fourth and Minneapolis, Minnesota came in fifth.

These are the 10 safest cities to drive in, according to the study:

The 10 safest U.S. cities for driving, according to a report by U.S. News & World Report. Image courtesy of the report, published in March 2023. (U.S. News & World Report)

Click here to see U.S. News’ full study and methodology.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a tool that allows you to see fatal car crashes, vehicular damage and more that occurred in an area anytime between 2007-2021 -- you can check that tool out here.


Previously on Data Drop:


About the Author
Cassidy Johncox headshot

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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