(NEXSTAR) – Summer is just around the corner, and with the nice weather comes more people on the road than usual.
AAA actually refers to this as the “100 Deadliest Days,” the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day when there is a rise in driving fatalities across the country, particularly among younger drivers.
But a new MoneyGeek study finds these 100 days are becoming less deadly, with the latest data showing 39,254 summer driving deaths in 2024. While not confirmed yet, 2025 is expected to see a drop as well, to 36,640 deaths.
It’s been a steady decline since 2021, when there were 43,230 reported summer driving deaths. It’s an encouraging sign of safer driving, and some states in particular have seen major improvements on their roads.
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To determine the death rate, MoneyGeek looked at the number of summer driving deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in each state.
Considered the safest place to drive this summer is Massachusetts, which has a rate of 0.67 deaths for every 100 million VMT.
Tied for second are two other East Coast states, Rhode Island and New Jersey, each having a rate of 0.80. They are followed by Alaska at 0.81 and Minnesota at 0.83.
Check out the map below to see how safe your state is on the roads.
In terms of overall improvement, some states have really seen their numbers drop.
Alaska had the largest change in death rate, with The Last Frontier seeing a 51.2% drop in summer driving deaths.
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Another state in New England, Vermont, is also high on this list, with a 35.5% drop.
Other states, including Indiana, Montana and Georgia, also saw significant improvement.
Here’s a list of the top 20 states that saw the most improvement on the roads.
| Rank | State | Summer Driving Deaths Rate | Rate Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 0.81 | -51.2% |
| 2 | Vermont | 0.91 | -35.5% |
| 3 | Indiana | 0.93 | -31.6% |
| 4 | Montana | 1.65 | -27.0% |
| 5 | Georgia | 0.98 | -25.2% |
| 6 | Wyoming | 1.16 | -24.7% |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 1.27 | -22.1% |
| 8 | Kansas | 1.01 | -21.1% |
| 9 | Louisiana | 1.30 | -20.7% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 0.67 | -17.3% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 0.80 | -16.7% |
| 12 | New York | 0.96 | -15.8% |
| 13 | Arkansas | 1.71 | -14.5% |
| 14 | North Dakota | 1.24 | -13.9% |
| 15 | Minnesota | 0.83 | -13.5% |
| 16 | Nevada | 1.20 | -12.4% |
| 17 | Illinois | 1.11 | -11.9% |
| 18 | Colorado | 1.34 | -11.8% |
| 19 | California | 1.13 | -11.7% |
| 20 | South Carolina | 1.59 | -11.7% |
On the other end of the spectrum, some states saw their rates jump higher than the previous year.
South Dakota recorded a 36.2% increase in summer driving deaths, the highest among states, with a rate of 1.73. Iowa wasn’t far behind at 18.7%, followed by Mississippi at 11.9%.
To see the full study, head over to MoneyGeek’s website.
