California Leads All States in Weekend Road Trip Deaths, With I-5 Ranked the Deadliest Highway in the US 

M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers Research | July 2026

California records more weekend road trip fatalities than any other state in the country, nearly 8,700 deaths over five years, according to a new study by M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers. Our study also found that I-5, the freeway that carries Los Angeles drivers north, south, and out of the city every weekend, is the deadliest stretch of highway in the entire 50-state analysis.

We analyzed five years of weekend crash data across all 50 states to find out how risky weekend road trips really are for Southern California drivers. Angelenos take weekend trips constantly, whether it’s up the coast, out to Las Vegas, or across the state line into Arizona, and our data shows those drives carry more risk than most people realize. I-5 alone recorded more weekend deaths than any other road in the country, making it a route every Los Angeles driver should treat with extra caution this summer.

How We Ranked Weekend Road Trip Risk

We examined all 50 states to find out where weekend road trips are most likely to go wrong. Using NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, we tracked every deadly crash recorded between Friday at 6:00 PM and Sunday at midnight over a five-year period. We also pulled Federal Highway Administration data to measure what share of each state’s major roads are in poor condition. We combined these two factors into a single Weekend Road Trip Risk Score to identify which states carry the most risk for weekend drivers.

Here’s a look at the top 10 riskiest states for a weekend road trip:

You can access the complete research findings here.

California and the I-5: The Numbers Every Angeleno Should Know

• Weekend fatalities (2020-2024): 8,678, the highest total of any state we studied
• Speeding-related weekend deaths: 2,969
• Alcohol-impaired weekend deaths: 3,426
• Roads in poor condition: 28%, also the highest share of any state on our list
• Deadliest roads: I-5 (353 deaths), SR-99 (197), US-101 (188)

Our Los Angeles car accident lawyers found that California carries more weekend road trip risk in raw numbers than any other state in the country, and it isn’t close. Over five years, 8,678 people died in weekend crashes on California roads, more than double the total in Arizona, the next-closest state most Angelenos drive through on a road trip. Nearly 3,000 of those deaths involved speeding, and over 3,400 involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

The I-5 stands out as the single deadliest road in our entire 50-state study, with 353 weekend deaths recorded over the study period. For Los Angeles drivers, that’s significant: I-5 is the corridor most people use to head north toward the Central Valley and the Bay Area, or south toward San Diego and the border. We also found that 28% of California’s major roads are rated in poor condition, the worst share in the country, meaning even a familiar weekend drive can turn into an unexpected mechanical issue.

Beyond California: Where Weekend Road Trips From LA Get Riskier

A lot of Southern California weekend trips cross state lines, especially into Arizona and Nevada. Here’s what we found in the states Angelenos are most likely to be driving through or toward.

Arizona: 2,410 Weekend Deaths and I-10 as the Riskiest Corridor

We found Arizona ranks fourth nationally, recording 2,410 weekend road deaths over five years. DUI was a factor in 968 of those crashes, while speeding was cited in 895. Saturday drives proved especially dangerous, accounting for 1,090 deaths. Close to 16% of Arizona’s major roads are in poor condition, and I-10, the same highway that connects Los Angeles to Phoenix, was the state’s riskiest corridor by a wide margin.

New Mexico: 1 in 5 Roads in Poor Condition

For drivers continuing east past Arizona, New Mexico presents its own risks. Over 1 in 5 major roads here are in poor shape, raising the odds of a weekend drive ending with an unplanned stop at a mechanic. We also found reckless driving to be a persistent issue, with over 340 weekend fatalities involving alcohol. I-40 and I-25 account for the majority of the state’s deadly crashes.

Why Weekend Timing Matters So Much

Nick Movagar, a legal expert at M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers, commented on what these numbers mean for drivers heading out of Los Angeles:

“Always run navigation apps even on routes that seem straightforward. Google Maps and Apple Maps both flag accidents, speed traps, and road closures in real time. That kind of heads-up on an unfamiliar road is really important. The other thing worth saying is that a lot of weekend crash deaths involve alcohol, and the reasoning people use is that one or two drinks won’t show on a test. But that’s not really the point. Driving through unfamiliar terrain, on roads you’ve never seen, after any amount of alcohol puts everyone in that car at a higher risk.”

Key Takeaways

• California recorded more weekend road fatalities than any other state, with nearly 8,700 deaths over five years.
• I-5 was the single deadliest road in our nationwide study, a corridor most Los Angeles drivers use regularly.
• 28% of California’s major roads are in poor condition, the worst rate of any state we examined.
• Arizona, a common weekend destination from LA, ranks fourth nationally for weekend road trip risk, with I-10 as its most dangerous corridor.
• Alcohol was a factor in nearly 40% of California’s weekend road deaths, underscoring how much weekend timing itself raises risk.

Hurt in a Weekend Car Accident in Los Angeles?

If you or someone you love was injured in a car accident on I-5, I-10, or anywhere else in California, we’re here to help. Contact M&Y Personal Injury Lawyers today for a free, no-obligation consultation. No recovery, no fee.

Methodology note: Weekend fatalities reflect crashes recorded from Friday at 6:00 PM through Sunday at midnight, based on NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2020-2024. Road condition figures are sourced from FHWA highway statistics. Full data tables for all 50 states are available upon request.