Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County, California, is No. 1 in the rankings of the nation's Top 100 deadliest counties. Above,  Shadow Valley.

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Several heavily traveled corridors in the Northeast appear in new rankings of America’s 100 deadliest highways, underscoring how dense populations and complex traffic patterns can amplify risk on fast-moving routes.

A study by Texas personal injury law firm Angel Reyes & Associates examined the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The purpose was to identify which highways saw the highest number of fatal crashes over the past three years.

Researchers noted that California dominated the list, but the Northeast also posted multiple entries with significant crash totals.

One of the highest-ranked Northeast corridors is US-1 in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The roadway recorded 23 fatal crashes over the study period, placing it in a tie for No. 64 nationwide. The stretch is a major commuter and commercial corridor that feeds into multiple population centers.

Pennsylvania’s US-1, specifically Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Boulevard, also tied for 64th with 23 fatal crashes. The multilane roadway is known for heavy traffic, multiple intersections, and a challenging layout that has long been the focus of safety-improvement proposals.

New York appears twice at No. 70.The Long Island Expressway, also known as the LIE (I-495), recorded 22 fatal crashes in Suffolk County. A separate ranking for I-495 in the same county also logged 22 deaths. The corridor sees dense daily commuter traffic and significant freight activity.

Connecticut rounds out the Northeast’s presence in the top 100. I-84 in Hartford ranked one hundredth with 20 fatal crashes, reflecting a combination of high traffic volumes and challenging merge points through the region.

California leads the Top 10 overall, driven by its size and the conditions along its busiest routes. Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County ranked first with 80 fatal crashes over three years. 

The highway connects Los Angeles to Las Vegas and draws both tourist and freight traffic through desert terrain. California’s I-10 in Riverside County ranked third with 54 deaths, while I-5 in San Diego placed eighth with 42 fatalities.

Researchers said California’s presence in the top ten reflects both its population and the unique hazards of its major corridors. The nationwide analysis offers a view into which roadways may benefit from additional safety improvements in the years ahead.