Misc

Mapped: The Most Dangerous Time to Drive in Each U.S. State

Published

1 year ago

December 29, 2023

NeoMam Studios

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Freny Fernandes

Map of the most dangerous time to drive in the U.S. by state

The Most Dangerous Time to Drive in Each U.S. State

Thousands of commuters around the world lose their lives in vehicular accidents each year, and in the U.S., the most dangerous time to drive can actually depend on which state you’re in.

According to the CDC, car crashes are the eighth leading cause of death globally, and the leading cause for young people between the ages of 5–29 years old. Each day, the U.S. alone sees an average of 102 fatal traffic accidents.

This graphic by Clunker Junker uses data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to identify the most dangerous time to drive in each state of the country, based on traffic fatalities.

The Deadly Hours

On average, U.S. commuters lose over 50 hours of their time in rush hour traffic every year. In addition to being a frustrating drive, NHTSA data found that this time frame is also the most dangerous in some states.

The number of fatal traffic accidents across various parts of the U.S. increases after 5pm, peaking between 9pm and 10pm.

State	Most Dangerous Time to Drive
Alabama	5:00‒5:59 p.m.
Alaska	2:00‒2:59 p.m.
Arizona	7:00‒7:59 p.m.
Arkansas	5:00‒5:59 p.m.
California	9:00‒9:59 p.m.
Colorado	5:00‒5:59 p.m.
Connecticut	7:00‒7:59 p.m.
Delaware	5:00‒5:59 p.m.
Florida	8:00‒8:59 p.m.
Georgia	6:00‒6:59 p.m.
Hawaii	8:00‒8:59 p.m.
Idaho	4:00‒4:59 p.m.
Illinois	6:00‒6:59 p.m.
Indiana	9:00‒9:59 p.m.
Iowa	5:00‒5:59 p.m.
Kansas	1:00‒1:59 p.m.
Kentucky	2:00‒2:59 p.m.
Louisiana	9:00‒9:59 p.m.
Maine	4:00‒4:59 p.m.
Maryland	9:00‒9:59 p.m.
Massachusetts	6:00‒6:59 p.m.
Michigan	9:00‒9:59 p.m.
Minnesota	4:00‒4:59 p.m.
Mississippi	8:00‒8:59 p.m.
Missouri	3:00‒3:59 p.m.
Montana	2:00‒2:59 p.m.
Nebraska	4:00‒4:59 p.m.
Nevada	8:00‒8:59 p.m.
New Hampshire	2:00‒2:59 p.m.
New Jersey	8:00‒8:59 p.m.
New Mexico	6:00‒6:59 p.m.
New York	6:00‒6:59 p.m.
North Carolina	6:00‒6:59 p.m.
North Dakota	4:00‒4:59 p.m.
Ohio	8:00‒8:59 p.m.
Oklahoma	3:00‒3:59 p.m.
Oregon	5:00‒5:59 p.m.
Pennsylvania	3:00‒3:59 p.m.
Rhode Island	9:00‒9:59 p.m.
South Carolina	8:00‒8:59 p.m.
South Dakota	1:00‒1:59 p.m.
Tennessee	8:00‒8:59 p.m.
Texas	9:00‒9:59 p.m.
Utah	3:00‒3:59 p.m.
Vermont	5:00‒5:59 p.m.
Virginia	6:00‒6:59 p.m.
Washington	5:00‒5:59 p.m.
West Virginia	3:00‒3:59 p.m.
Wisconsin	3:00‒3:59 p.m.
Wyoming	3:00‒3:59 p.m.

This is reported to be an outcome of various factors: low visibility at night, glaring headlights, more cars on the road, and a higher number of drunk drivers. In some states, regional geography and weather also contribute to dangerous road conditions, including hills and mountains, rain, snow, and strong winds.

Another factor is congestion. More populated states with longer average commutes like California and Maryland had the most dangerous time to drive as later (between 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.), while central states with smaller populations like Kansas and South Dakota had earlier peak dangerous times (between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.)

The safest times to drive across all states? Early in the morning from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.

The Most Dangerous Time to Drive by Month and Day

While holidays are a time for relaxation and celebration, they can be hazardous on the roads.

According to NHTSA data, the summer and fall months are the most dangerous by average fatal accidents.

June through August are the peak months of vacation travel in the U.S. and see increased traffic (often on high-speed highways and unfamiliar roads) and fatalities. But September is actually the most dangerous month to drive in America, as the Labor Day weekend and the new school term bring new drivers to the roads.

Other popular U.S. holidays, including the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve, and Halloween, are also more dangerous than average. In addition to increased instances of drinking and driving, many holidays involve long-distance travel, leading to fatigue.

And finally, according to the NHTSA, the U.S. sees an average of 4.68 fatal accidents on Saturdays making it the most dangerous day. This reaches a peak of over seven fatal accidents between 9 and 10pm every Saturday.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

Related Topics:dangerous US roads vehicle deaths car accident rush hour.injury pileup Accident weather by state self driving car driving death traffic roads

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Misc

The Most Reliable Used-Car Brands in 2025

Shopping for a used car? Discover the most reliable used-car brands of 2025, based on data from Consumer Reports.

Published

1 day ago

April 28, 2025

Marcus Lu

Ranked: The Most Reliable Used-Car Brands in 2025

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

Consumer Reports ranked 26 car brands based on the reliability of their 5- to 10-year-old models (2015-2020 model year)
Japanese brands locked out the top five spots in this ranking

In today’s environment, buying a new car has become a stretch for many households—fueling demand in the used-car market. But not all used vehicles are created equal, and reliability plays a major role in long-term ownership costs.

For buyers looking to avoid expensive repairs down the road, brand reputation is more important than ever. In this graphic, we ranked the best used-car brands of 2025, using data from Consumer Reports.

Data & Methodology

To come up with these reliability scores, Consumer Reports asked its members to report how many problems they’ve had with their vehicles over the past 12 months.

This analysis focused only on cars from the 2015 to 2020 model year, with a sample size of over 150,000 vehicles.

Rank	Brand	Reliability Verdict
1	🇯🇵 Lexus	81
2	🇯🇵 Toyota	74
3	🇯🇵 Mazda	63
4	🇯🇵 Honda	56
5	🇯🇵 Acura	55
6	🇺🇸 Buick	53
7	🇸🇪 Volvo	49
8	🇯🇵 Nissan	49
9	🇯🇵 Subaru	48
10	🇺🇸 Cadillac	48
11	🇩🇪 Mercedes-Benz	47
12	🇩🇪 BMW	45
13	🇺🇸 Lincoln	43
14	🇩🇪 Audi	42
15	🇺🇸 Tesla	40
16	🇩🇪 Volkswagen	40
17	🇺🇸 Chevrolet	40
18	🇺🇸 Ram	38
19	🇺🇸 Ford	38
20	🇰🇷 Kia	37
21	🇺🇸 GMC	36
22	🇰🇷 Hyundai	36
23	🇬🇧 Mini	33
24	🇺🇸 Dodge	32
25	🇺🇸 Jeep	31
26	🇺🇸 Chrysler	29

From this data we can see that Japanese brands are generally the most reliable when buying used, with the lowest ranked Japanese brand being Subaru, in ninth place. Toyota and its luxury arm, Lexus, hold the top two spots, while Honda and Acura come in fourth and fifth.

Brands like Lexus and Toyota have a history of conservative redesigns, incrementally improving their entire product line rather than introducing many all-new systems. Our data consistently shows over time that cars from those brands are reliable when new, and they continue to be reliable as they age.
Steven Elek, Senior Automotive Data Analyst at Consumer Reports

Top Used-Car Picks in 2025

Consumer Reports has released its latest list of top used-car picks, all of which offer good reliability, safety, and value across various price points. These selections are based on comprehensive road tests and owner satisfaction surveys.

Category	Top Pick Model (Year)	Generation
Under $10,000	Chevrolet Cruze (2017)	2016–2019
Under $15,000	Hyundai Elantra (2019)	2017–2020
SUV Under $15,000	Honda HR-V (2018)	2016–2022
Hybrid Under $20,000	Toyota Corolla Hybrid (2021)	2020–2024
Small SUV Under $20,000	Kia Sportage (2021)	2017–2022
Hybrid SUV Under $20,000	Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (2018)	2016–2018
3-Row SUV Under $20,000	Mazda CX-9 (2020)	2016–2023
Luxury SUV Under $20,000	Buick Envision (2020)	2016–2020
Pickup Truck Under $20,000	Toyota Tacoma (2015)	2005–2015
Sports Car Under $20,000	Mazda MX-5 Miata (2019)	2016–2024