Massachusetts Named Safest State for Summer Driving

When it comes to local travel, Southern New England drivers don't have much to brag about.

Between traffic, potholes, and not-so-great bridges, most of us would happily skip parts of our daily commute. But new findings suggest things might not be as bad as they seem.

MoneyGeek has ranked Massachusetts as the safest state for summer travel, with Rhode Island right behind at No. 2.

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That ranking comes from an analysis of what's known as the "100 deadliest days of summer," the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day when traffic fatalities typically spike.

What Are the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer”?

According to MoneyGeek, more than 10,000 people were killed on U.S. roads during the summer months of 2024 alone—an average of about 113 deaths per day. Chilling numbers that, despite their slight improvement in recent years, show just how dangerous summer driving can be.

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The study looked at three years of crash data and traffic volume for all 50 states to determine the places that were safest and most dangerous for drivers. Factors like road design, speed limits and the enforcement of those limits also played a role.

How Massachusetts and Rhode Island Ranked So High

That left Massachusetts and Rhode Island as stand-out states, with significantly lower fatality rates compared to other parts of the country. Massachusetts scored 0.67 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT), while Rhode Island came in at 0.80. By comparison, the most dangerous state, Mississippi, had 1.88 deaths per million VMT.

Still, even in the safest states, experts say summer driving always comes with added risks. More drivers on the roads, traveling more miles and more inexperienced drivers behind the wheel add up to more accidents each summer.

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So while Southern New England may not seem like the easiest place to drive, the numbers suggest we're actually in a pretty good spot if you're planning a road trip this summer.