MA and RI Have Stunning Rankings for Safe Holiday Travel

If there’s one state that has an even worse reputation than Rhode Island for bad driving, it would be Massachusetts.

One driver summed it up best: when you’re driving on a highway in Massachusetts and a driver is trying to merge from the on-ramp, your thoughts might be, “Screw him, he’s gotta yield. I’m driving over here!”

The idea is that the driver on the on-ramp must yield. However, if you’re on the on-ramp trying to merge onto the highway, your mindset might shift to, “Screw him, get outta the way! I’m trying to get on the highway over here!”

Get our free mobile app

I have to admit, this a new study released by personal injury experts is a bit perplexing.

If you had asked me to name the three most dangerous states for driving during the holiday season, I would have guessed Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts.

READ MORE: The Worst Drivers in America Are in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

In fact, the reality is quite the opposite. Massachusetts is ranked as the third-safest state for holiday driving. Just above it is New York State, and the very safest state for driving during the holidays is Rhode Island.

Perhaps the decorated Big Blue Bug helps keep drivers calm – or “cools off” those prone to road rage (or would that be “Rhode rage?").

The Stats and Facts

Rhode Island is officially the safest state for December travel. It boasts the lowest rate of fatal collisions per 100,000 people during the holidays, averaging just 0.37 from 2018 to 2022.

Holiday traffic fatalities account for 6.9 percent of all annual traffic fatalities in the state and 25 percent of fatal collisions in the days surrounding Christmas.