A study conducted by MoneyGeek shows Memphis has the most dangerous commutes of over 120 metropolitan areas nationwide.
The study, which examined average yearly fatal crashes during morning rush hours (6:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.) from 2019 to 2023 across U.S. metro areas, found Memphis to have the most dangerous commutes, with an average of 0.84 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents.
The four other metro areas found to have the most dangerous commutes include Tucson, Arizona (.80 crash rate); Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky (0.71 crash rate); Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina (0.70 crash rate); and Albuquerque, New Mexico (0.52 crash rate).
MoneyGeek ranked 124 U.S. metro areas with labor forces over 200,000 for transportation quality, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), American Automobile Association (AAA), and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Chattanooga was found to have the sixth-most dangerous commutes with an average of 0.51 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents.
Overall, based on additional factors which include average commute times, annual fuel costs, and travel times, Memphis ranked 100th place out of the total 124 metro areas with the best transportation conditions.
Other Tennessee metro areas the study evaluated based on overall transportation conditions include Cleveland (90th place); Nashville (83rd place); Knoxville (41st place); and Jackson (31st place).
Columbia, South Carolina, was found to have the best transportation conditions in the nation while Los Angeles, California, ranked last for transportation conditions.
MoneyGeek’s study showing Memphis to have the most dangerous commutes in the U.S. comes after another survey showed the city to be the worst area in the nation for drunk driving.
That study – which analyzed 100 U.S. cities and ranked them based on Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrest rates, alcohol-related deaths per capita, and the percentage of total traffic deaths involving alcohol – ranked Memphis as “America’s drunk driving capital” with a fatality rate of 194 deaths per 100,000 residents.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Memphis Commute” by Thomas R Machnitzki. CC BY 3.0.
