Drivers Need To Be Careful Traveling to These US Cities This Holiday Season

Anyone driving through these cities in the United States this holiday season needs to exhibit extra caution.

Inmates from the Brevard County Detention Center were out early at Wickham Park loading sandbags for residents, causing a traffic jam around the park from people desperate to get sandbags. / MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the holiday season now upon us, there are going to be a lot of people traveling to see family and friends across the United States.

As the case is every year, there is going to be a lot of congestion and delays whether you are in an airport flying somewhere or driving. If you happen to be traveling via automobile, there are some cities that you need to exhibit extra caution when going through.

In a new study, Conboy Law Injury & Medical Malpractice Lawyers analyzed 36 different cities throughout the United States and came up with a list of the 10 that drivers should avoid. Of course, that is easier said than done, as travel through some of the places cannot be avoided.

Several factors were used to create the study, with the three biggest ones being traffic-related fatalities in urban areas per 100,000 people, vehicle ownership rates and traffic delay times. After all of the factors were brought together, a Driving Risk Score was created.

The city that landed in the unwanted No. 1 spot was Atlanta, Georgia, earning the only 100 score and being the most challenging city to drive through. With 94.7 percent of the adult population owning a vehicle, traffic delays average 61 minutes.

Not only are the roads in the city overcrowded, drivers face commutes that are much longer than they should be.

The second worst city to drive in is Los Angeles, California with a score of 94. The traffic delay time of 89 minutes is the second longest on the list, topped only by Chicago, Illinois, which had 96 minutes.

Los Angeles has the second-lowest fatality rate at 8.9, as Chicago is once again the only lower one with 6.4. The Illinois city’s score of 75 came in at No. 7. 

However, the California city has the highest number of fatalities per year with 338 in large part because of the massive population. The 3.7 million people are the most of any city on the list. 

The only other city that recorded at least 300 fatalities in urban areas per year was Houston, Texas, with 300 on the dot. Their overall score of 84 was No. 6 on the list.

The highest number of fatalities in urban areas in a year per 100,000 people is in Memphis, Tennessee with 33.8 and is No. 5 with a score of 89. The only other state to even surpass 20 is Tuscon, Arizona, which recorded a 23.7 and had a full score of 61, coming in at No. 9.

Rounding out the list is Jacksonville, Florida with a 93, coming in at No. 3 is Dallas, Texas with a 72 and ranking No. 9. Landing in the No. 10 spot is Indianapolis, Indiana with a score of 57.

“Driving in busy urban areas poses significant challenges, especially where high vehicle ownership and heavy traffic create a dense, often risky environment. Prolonged traffic delays, combined with a large number of cars on the road, can lead to frustrating commutes and heightened accident risks. Cities with elevated fatality rates highlight the serious hazards of navigating crowded streets. These trends underscore a common issue: as urban areas grow, the need for safer, more efficient traffic solutions becomes critical to support smoother and safer travel for drivers,” said a spokesperson from Conboy Law Injury & Medical Malpractice Lawyers.