The 15 Most Dangerous Roads in New York Have Been Revealed

Summer is road trip season in New York. Whether you're heading to the Adirondacks, the Finger Lakes, the Thousand Islands, or just driving across Central New York for a weekend getaway, there's one thing every driver should know before hitting the road.

A new analysis of fatal crashes has identified the roads in New York that see the most deadly accidents during the summer months, and several of them are highways many Central New Yorkers travel regularly.

The Most Dangerous Roads in New York

Car insurance experts at iSelect analyzed nearly 62,000 fatal crashes nationwide that occurred during June, July, and August between 2020 and 2024.

In New York alone, there were 1,898 fatal crashes during those summer months.

Here are the roads with the highest number of fatal crashes:

Rank	Road	Fatal Crashes
1	I-87	22
2	US-9	19
3	I-90	16
4	US-9W	15
5	Southern State Parkway	15
6	Sunrise Highway (SR-27)	15
7	I-81	14
8	I-495	12
9	SR-52	11
10	SR-12	10
11	SR-23	10
12	SR-104	10
13	SR-17	10
14	SR-8	9
15	Bailey Avenue (US-62)	9

Roads Central New Yorkers Know Well

Several highways on the list run right through our region.

Interstate 90 (the New York State Thruway) is one of the busiest east-west routes in the state, connecting Utica, Rome, Syracuse, and beyond.

Interstate 81, another road that made the list, is a common route for drivers heading north toward Watertown and the Thousand Islands or south through Syracuse.

You'll also find Route 12, which connects Utica with communities including Barneveld, Boonville, and Lowville, and Route 8, a popular road for trips into the Adirondacks.

While making the list doesn't necessarily mean these roads are unsafe to drive, it does reflect just how much traffic they carry and the number of serious crashes that have occurred in recent summers.

June Is the Deadliest Month

If you're planning vacations or weekend trips, the data found that June recorded the highest number of fatal crashes in New York.

June: 355
July: 339
August: 329

With schools letting out and summer travel ramping up, roads tend to be much busier this time of year.

The Most Dangerous Time to Be on the Road

According to the study, fatal crashes are most common during the evening hours.

The deadliest times were:

9 p.m.
8 p.m.
10 p.m.
6 p.m.
7 p.m.

Reduced visibility, heavier traffic, fatigue after a long day, and impaired driving may all contribute to the increased risk during these hours.

It's Not the Interstates You Need to Watch Most

One of the biggest surprises from the report is that state highways, not interstates, accounted for the largest share of fatal crashes in New York.

Road type breakdown:

State highways: 20%
County roads: 19%
Interstates: 12%
Local municipal streets: 12%

A Reminder Before You Hit the Road

No matter where your summer plans take you, experts say the biggest factor in preventing crashes is driver behavior.

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Simple habits like obeying speed limits, avoiding distractions, leaving plenty of following distance, and taking breaks on longer drives can make a big difference.

With thousands of Central New Yorkers expected to hit the road throughout the summer, arriving a few minutes later is always better than not arriving at all.