The most important hazard is probably not visitors this July Fourth weekend — it could possibly be the state you’re driving by.
North Dakota ranked because the nation’s most harmful state for July 4th journey, recording 0.28 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. That’s greater than seven instances the speed of Rhode Island, which ranked most secure at simply 0.04, in keeping with a brand new MoneyGeek evaluation of federal crash knowledge.
From 2020 to 2024, the 5 most up-to-date years of ultimate federal crash knowledge, 2,724 folks had been killed in US crashes through the vacation interval.
Independence Day is America’s second deadliest main vacation for drunk driving, second solely to cocktail-happy New 12 months’s Eve — with 38% of drivers killed over the previous 5 years legally drunk, the best impaired-driver share of any main vacation.
The research ranked each state and Washington, DC, by deadly crashes per 100 million miles pushed — and the outcomes might shock drivers.
After North Dakota, Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico and Montana rounded out the 5 most harmful states.
Most of the highest-risk states have one thing in frequent: lengthy, high-speed rural highways, lighter visitors enforcement, decrease inhabitants density and longer journeys to trauma facilities after critical crashes, researchers mentioned.
“For New Yorkers and people from Jersey heading out on July 4th … the numbers are reassuring,” mentioned Nathan Paulus, Head of Content material and search engine optimisation at MoneyGeek. “New York ranks thirty ninth and New Jersey forty eighth out of 51 states. Each are safer than the nationwide common per mile pushed.”
However alcohol stays one of many vacation’s largest danger components for all states.
After Rhode Island, the most secure states had been Massachusetts at 50 with Hawaii shut behind at 49, New Jersey at 48, Maryland at 47, New Hampshire taking the forty sixth spot and Virginia at 45.
Arkansas and South Carolina recorded the best share of drunk drivers concerned in deadly crashes at 53%, adopted by Iowa at 51% and Oregon and Connecticut coming in at 50% every.
New York’s impaired-driving share was among the many nation’s lowest at 25%, whereas New Jersey got here in even decrease at 24%.
There may be some encouraging information, although.
Preliminary NHTSA estimates present about 36,640 folks died in visitors crashes nationwide in 2025, down 6.7% from 2024 and marking the second-lowest fatality price per mile pushed on file.
“The agricultural West and South nonetheless cluster on the high of the vacation rating yearly we run it,” Paulus mentioned. “However the nationwide quantity retains dropping: fewer individuals are dying on the roads.”
In contrast, the nation’s most populous states recorded the best variety of deaths just because way more folks had been touring.
California reported 284 July 4th vacation visitors fatalities through the five-year research interval, adopted by Texas with 274 and Florida with 209. However as soon as researchers adjusted for miles pushed, all three states fell into the center of the nationwide rankings.
The hazard additionally peaks after the celebrations.
“The deadliest hours are those after the fireworks finish,” mentioned Paulus. “Almost 1 / 4 of July 4th highway deaths occur between 9 p.m. and midnight, which is when the crowds are heading dwelling.”
That late-night stretch accounted for 23% of all vacation visitors deaths, making it one of many trickiesst instances to be on the highway.
“In the event you’re planning to drink, e-book the experience earlier than the primary beer, not after the third,” Paulus mentioned. “And should you’re driving that late-night window sober, drive like everybody else on the highway isn’t.”
