When you ask most Washingtonians, or even DMV area residents, about who the worst drivers are in the region, most will have the same answer: drivers from Maryland.
Now, while the rumors and stigma may be nearly impossible to completely repeal, it turns out that, according to traffic safety data, Maryland is one of the safer places in the DMV area to drive!
Why is Virginia less safe for drivers and passengers?
The report, which is called the ‘2026 Roadmap to Safety’ and was created by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, looked at all 50 states and D.C. to determine which, at a glance, were the safest for drivers and passengers.
The report broke down the following data:
- Total number of people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2024.
- Total number of fatalities over the past 10 years.
- The annual economic cost of motor vehicle crashes to the state.
- A list of ‘lifesaving’ laws that some states have adopted, that others have not.
After sorting through the data, the report sifted all 50 states + D.C. into three color categories: Green (safest conditions), Yellow (Safety conditions have gaps that need improvement, and Red (Safety conditions are considered dangerous).
The report found that only five Green ratings were awarded, which included both Maryland and Washington, D.C.!
However, Virginia was one of the 36 states to receive a Yellow rating, suggesting that driving conditions in Virginia are the most dangerous in the DMV area.
Here was the data on Virginia:
- Ten-year fatality total: 8,658
- 2024 fatalities: 910
- Annual cost due to motor vehicle crashes: $6.455 Billion
- Number of Highway safety laws that still need to be implemented: 10
Why are Maryland and D.C. safer for drivers and passengers?
According to the report, the data on Maryland and D.C. were as follows:
Maryland –
- Ten-year fatality total: 5,525
- 2024 fatalities: 579
- Annual cost due to motor vehicle crashes: $5.91 Billion
- Number of Highway safety laws that still need to be implemented: 6
Washington, D.C. –
- Ten-year fatality total: 335
- 2024 fatalities: 47
- Annual cost due to motor vehicle crashes: $832 Million
- Number of Highway safety laws that still need to be implemented: 4
How does this mean Virginia drivers are the worst in the DMV?
The reality is that this doesn’t really confirm anything about the skill level about the drivers around the DMV area, but it’s definitely fun to poke fun at the situation and throw a little fuel on the fire when it comes to the discourse on drivers around the DMV.
It does mean that there is less local legislation in Virginia meant to protect drivers and passengers than D.C. and Maryland, and it also confirmed that Virginia had far more fatal crashes than the other parts of the DMV, which does support the claim that Virginia is the least safe to drive in between the 3 jurisdictions of the DMV area.