10 Most Dangerous States for Public Transport in America Based on Accidents and Fatalities
Public transportation has its benefits. But like any type of travel, it comes with its own set of dangers. Statistically, public transport is potentially riskier depending on which state you use it in.
In 2019, Americans took 10 billion trips on subways, trains, buses, and other forms of public transportation across 50 states. As populations rise, the necessity of public transport continues to grow, and the dangers are likely to grow, too.
H&P Law ran a study analyzing the most dangerous states for public transport. Whether you’re traveling to a state as a tourist or you use public transport every day, this list might make you think about the transit you use.
Measuring Public Transportation Safety
H&P Law used data from the Bureau of Transport Statistics to determine where Americans are at the most risk for public transportation. They organized the information by categories, including injuries, collisions, and fatalities related to public transit. The results were then measured against the population per individual state to see which states had the highest rates of incidents per 100,000 people.
While approximately 45% of Americans have no access to public transport, getting around on transportation like commuter trains and ferries is common for a certain portion of the U.S. population. Does your state make the list of the 10 states most prone to public transportation incidents?
1: New York
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 45,732
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 230.3
2: Illinois
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 20,910
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 164.8
3: Delaware
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 1,607
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 159.9
4: Pennsylvania
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 17,725
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 136.2
5: Maryland
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 7,448
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 120.6
6: Massachusetts
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 7,749
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 110.8
7: New Jersey
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 9,221
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 99.5
8: Missouri
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 5,463
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 88.5
9: Hawaii
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 1,269
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 87.7
10: Connecticut
- Total injuries, collisions, & fatalities: 3,138
- Total incidents per 100,000 residents: 87.1
The Most Dangerous States
New York state comes in first when it comes to which state has the most dangerous public transportation. Of all 50 states, the Empire State has the most public transit usage. Specifically, more than half of the population of New York City uses the public transit system.
When measuring data in terms of crime, New Mexico is the most dangerous state overall. The Land of Enchantment reportedly has a violent crime rate of 780 per 100,000 people.
First Public Transit States
Beginning in the 1830s, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Maryland introduced horse-drawn vehicles to transport large numbers of passengers in the U.S.
In 1894, people in New York voted for a plan to build transit tunnels using public funds. Not too long after the creation of the subway system, New York City experienced one of the deadliest accidents in its history when the Malbone Street wreck took almost 100 people’s lives.
Comparing Private Transport Safety
A recent study showed more people around the world would rather have public transport over car driving. While many would like the convenience of public transit in their city, the majority of Americans use private cars for their daily commute.
Reportedly, the risk of traveling by private vehicle is 60 times higher than traveling by public transportation. In 2006, approximately 50,000 bus crashes happened in the United States; over four million car crashes occurred during the same period.
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