These Are The Most Dangerous States For Winter Driving

Black SUV travels on a rainy highway, showcasing stormy weather and transportation dynamics.

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While global warming is causing less snow to fall, higher temperatures can add moisture to the air and turn otherwise mild snowstorms into severe blizzards. Bigger snowstorms create more dangerous driving conditions in winter, particularly in rural areas where visibility is low, cars drive fast, and roads are poorly maintained.

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The winter weather motor vehicle fatality rate varies heavily throughout the country. In some states, motorists are more than five times as likely to crash their car in winter conditions like snow, ice, and freezing rain than the average American. A closer look at data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveals the states where winter driving is the most dangerous.

To determine the most dangerous states for winter driving, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on motor vehicle fatalities from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. States were ranked based on the number of fatal car crashes that occurred in winter weather conditions – snow, blowing snow, freezing rain, or sleet – from 2013 to 2022 per capita. Data used to adjust winter weather fatality counts for population is from the U.S. Census Bureau.

10. West Virginia

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Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 4.4 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 3.0%
Total population: 1,770,071

9. Michigan

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 4.7 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 5.0%
Total population: 10,037,261

8. Nebraska

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 5.1 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 4.9%
Total population: 1,978,379

7. Maine

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 5.2 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 5.0%
Total population: 1,395,722

6. Vermont

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 5.9 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 6.6%
Total population: 647,464

5. South Dakota

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 5.9 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 4.7%
Total population: 919,318

4. North Dakota

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 7.0 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 5.3%
Total population: 783,926

3. Montana

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 7.7 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 4.7%
Total population: 1,132,812

2. Alaska

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 9.5 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 10.8%
Total population: 733,406

1. Wyoming

Winter weather accident rate, 2013 to 2022: 17.6 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents
Winter weather accidents as share of all fatal crashes: 9.4%
Total population: 584,057