Study Reveals Most Dangerous States to Use Public Transportation

According to new research from a study by High Rise Legal Funding, Montana is the most dangerous state for using public transportation.

High Rise Legal Funding analyzed bus fatality data from 2010-2022 from the Bureau of Transport Statistics as well as rail accident data for 2022 from the Federal Railroad Administration for its latest study.

The total number of bus fatalities and rail accidents were compared against the population of each state to find the number of public transport-related accidents per 100,000 residents.

All 50 states were given a "Public Transport Safety Score" out of 100 on this basis.

Where do the States Rank?

Index Ranking	State	Population	2022 Train Accident Numbers	2010-2020 Bus Accidents	Train Accidents per 100,000 people	Bus Accidents per 100,000 people	Public Transport Safety Score
1	Montana	1,139,507	20	5	1.76	0.44	12.81
2	New Mexico	2,110,011	20	14	0.95	0.66	12.90
3	North Dakota	780,588	16	3	2.05	0.38	13.12
4	Arkansas	3,063,152	81	9	2.64	0.29	14.25
5	Nebraska	1,972,292	91	3	4.61	0.15	17.56
6	Mississippi	2,930,528	28	12	0.96	0.41	18.59
7	Tennessee	7,134,327	85	20	1.19	0.28	21.30
8	Kansas	2,936,378	89	4	3.03	0.14	22.30
9	Texas	30,500,280	307	70	1.01	0.23	25.06
10	Alabama	5,098,746	78	8	1.53	0.16	26.18

 

Montana ranks as the most dangerous state for using public transport in America, with a Public Transport Safety Score of 12.81 out of 100.

Montana had the largest number of public transport accidents per 100,000 residents compared to every other US state. The state had 1.76 rail accidents per 100,000 residents which is 183% above the national average of 0.96 rail accidents per 100,000 people. It also recorded 0.44 bus fatalities per 100,000 residents.

Scoring 12.90 out of 100, New Mexico is the second most dangerous state to use public transport. The state recorded 20 rail accidents in 2022, and 14 bus fatalities between 2010 and 2020. 

In third place is North Dakota with a score of 13.12 out of 100. The state recorded 16 rail accidents and three bus fatalities in the review period. However, due to its smaller population size, this resulted in a higher number of public transport accidents per 100,000 residents than other states with relatively higher numbers of accidents in the same period. 

Arkansas ranks as the fourth most dangerous state in which to use public transport in America. The state recorded 81 rail accidents throughout 2022 and nine bus fatalities between 2010 and 2022, earning it a Public Transport Safety Score of 14.25 out of 100.

Nebraska was found to be the fifth most dangerous state to use public transport, with a Public Transport Safety Score of 17.56 out of 100. 

Scoring 18.59 out of 100, Mississippi ranks as the sixth most dangerous state for public transport usage. The state recorded 28 rail accidents and 12 bus fatalities in the period under review.

Tennessee ranks seventh, with a Public Transport Safety Score score of 21.30 while Kansas ranks eighth, scoring 22.30 out of 100. Kansas recorded 89 rail accidents in 2022 and four bus fatalities between 2010 and 2020. 

Coming in ninth place is Texas, with a score of 25.06 out of 100,

Texas had the highest total number of bus and train accidents, with 377 combined bus and train accidents. However, due to its size, this worked out to 1.24 bus and train accidents per 100,000 residents. 

Alabama is the 10th most dangerous state to use public transport. With 78 rail accidents in 2022 and eight bus fatalities between 2010 and 2022, the state has a safety score of 26.18 out of 100.

Safest States for Public Transportation

The results found that New Hampshire ranks as the safest state for using public transport in America with a Public Transport Safety Score of 100 out of 100.

New Hampshire recorded zero bus fatalities between 2010 and 2020, as well as zero rail accidents throughout 2022.

The Granite State also ranks well in other safety indices, recording some of the lowest rates of pedestrian deaths, violent crime, and property crime per 100,000 residents of all 50 states.

The safest states include:

1. New Hampshire
2. Hawaii
3. Rhode Island
4. Maine
5. Vermont
6. West Virginia
7. South Dakota
8. Massachusetts
9. Wyoming
10. Ohio