New York’s Interstate Design Saves an Estimated 42 Lives a Year Compared to the National Average

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• If New York’s interstates performed at only the national average fatal rollover rate, the state would see about 58 fatal crashes per year.

• New York outperforms every Sun Belt state by a wide margin: Florida records 86.2 fatal rollovers per year on roads that carry twice as many miles, while Texas averages 139.2.

• 43 of the 50 states post a higher fatal interstate rollover rate than New York, despite carrying less traffic.

New York’s interstate network is one of the most heavily traveled in the country, absorbing over 113 billion vehicle miles annually. Yet federal crash data from 2019 to 2023 shows the state averages just 15.8 fatal rollover crashes per year, a figure so far below the national average that, if replicated at the typical U.S. rate, New York’s roads would produce about 42 additional deaths every single year.

The study conducted by Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers draws on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System records from 2019 to 2023 for interstate rollover crashes. Rates use Federal Highway Administration vehicle-miles-traveled data to rank states from safest to most dangerous.

New York Among the Ten Safest States Nationally

New York’s precise rate of 0.01389 places it second nationally, just behind Hawaii at 0.01188, with New Jersey trailing at 0.01830. Seventy-nine fatal crashes across five years on one of America’s most heavily traveled networks is an outcome no comparable state matches. Indiana, at rank 10, recorded 117 crashes over the same period on a lower annual volume.

What New York’s Rate Means in Real Terms

Applied over five years, the gap between New York’s actual performance and the national average translates to an estimated 212 fewer fatal rollover crashes. Even against the more modest national median, the state avoids roughly 169 additional deaths over the same period. 

Looking at the Study, Chrissy Grigoropoulos, Founder of Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, commented:

“The lives-saved calculation is the most direct way to understand what New York’s safety record actually means. Forty-two fewer fatal rollover crashes per year is not an abstraction; it is real people who made it home. What makes New York instructive is that it achieves this on one of America’s highest-traffic interstate systems, which tells you the result is not accidental. It is the product of how roads are built and governed, and it is a model other states should actively study.” 

New York vs. Sun Belt States

Every Sun Belt state in the dataset records a higher fatal rollover rate than New York, and most by a substantial margin. Florida carries nearly twice New York’s interstate traffic, yet averages 86.2 fatal rollovers per year, a rate 2.77 times higher. Texas, with 285,013 million VMT, averages 139.2 annual fatalities at a rate 3.52 times New York’s. South Carolina and Alabama, both carrying less than two-thirds of New York’s traffic volume, still post rates over three times higher. 

43 States Carry Less Traffic Than New York — and Post Worse Rates

The data dismantles the assumption that lower traffic volume equals lower risk. Wyoming carries less than nine percent of New York’s annual vehicle miles yet records a fatal rollover rate nearly 14 times higher. Colorado handles less than half of New York’s traffic and still posts a rate 5.8 times worse. Even neighboring Pennsylvania, a large northeastern state with a similar climate and comparable infrastructure vintage, logs a rate 2.6 times New York’s despite carrying 13 percent less traffic. 

Methodology

This analysis used the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System to identify all fatal crashes from 2019 through 2023 on Interstate Highway System routes involving a rollover. Interstate vehicle miles traveled for the same period were sourced from FHWA Highway Statistics and averaged across the five-year window. The primary metric, fatal interstate rollover crash rate per 100 million VMT, was calculated as average annual fatal crashes divided by average annual VMT multiplied by 100,000,000. All 50 states are ranked 1 (safest) to 50 (most dangerous) on this basis.

Data Sources

• NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): https://cdan.dot.gov/query
• Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dsRMM6jJPL84nqZcjyLzuWXFmVotuQKIxVMkG-R012U/edit?usp=sharing
• Study By: https://grigorlaw.com/ 

About Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers

Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers is New York’s premier all-injury law firm, focusing on car crashes and serious injury cases. The firm pairs courtroom experience with independent traffic safety research to inform the public and support safer roads.