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Forbes just ranked the cities with the worst drivers, based on the number of fatal car accidents. The most dangerous city to drive in is Albuquerque, New Mexico. This 560k city also happens to be at an elevation of 5,312 feet, making it the highest major metropolitan center in the U.S. But the number of traffic fatalities may come down to how dangerous its drivers are. Here’s how the numbers break down.

Of every city Forbes studied for road safety, Albuquerque had the highest number of fatal crashes involving a distracted driver (actively texting or doing some other task). How many? 5.42 crashes per 100,000 city residents, or about 30 annually.

That’s not all. Albuquerque also ranked fifth-highest for number of fatal accidents involving speeding. That number was nearly the same as the distracted driving number–5.56 per 100,000 city residents to be exact–so another 30 accidents annually.

A car crash between an uninsured motorists.
A car crash from above | Bilanol via iStock

Finally, Albuquerque ranked sixth-highest for fatal accidents involving a drunk driver. That came out to 4.67 per 100,000 residents, or about 26 annually.

Albuquerque’s the only city that has such a high rank in all three of the above categories. So Forbes dubbed it the most dangerous to drive in. That said, it has the third highest number of fatal car accidents of any U.S. city (17.11 per 100,000 city residents) and also the third highest number of people killed in those fatal accidents ( per 100,000 city residents).

All-told Albuquerque has roughly 96 fatal accidents annually, or one every four days. Those accidents kills about 100 people every year. Memphis, Tennessee has the highest number of fatal car accidents per capita (24.18 per 100,000 residents).

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Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.