D.C. is one of the safest major cities in the country for drivers, according to a new study.
“The local area in D.C. is actively working to reduce fatalities on the road,” Rachael Brennan, an insurance reporter at U.S. News and World Report, told WTOP.
U.S. News compared 2024 traffic fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with population data from the country’s largest cities. The District had the .
“D.C. is implementing several strategies to reduce traffic fatalities, including data-driven approaches to identify and address places where fatalities are more likely, and safety measures like eliminating dual turn conflicts and targeted prohibitions on right turns on red,” she said.
New York City ranked first overall, followed by Boston and San Francisco.
“The way that your city is running is working and it’s doing what it can do to take care of its people, and that’s really wonderful,” Brennan said.
Those three cities are also known for traffic congestion, which Brennan said may play a role in reducing fatal crashes.
“Common sense will tell you that the more people are on the road, the slower you have to travel, the less likely you are to be in a fatal accident. Perhaps more likely to be in a fender bender, but you’re less likely to die in a car accident due to congestion. Washington D.C. is one of those areas,” Brennan said.聽
D.C. recorded 46 traffic deaths in 2024, a fatality rate of 0.66 per 10,000 people. New York’s fatality rate was 0.26 per 10,000 residents, while Boston’s was 0.37.
“While that’s 46 fatalities too many, and we should work to prevent them all, it’s good to know that it’s such a small percentage of the total population,” she said.
The findings were at odds with Allstate’s recent 2026 Best Drivers Report, which ranked D.C. second to last.
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