Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of NHTSA data, the most dangerous city to drive in in Rhode Island is Smithfield, RI with 16.1 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year (Road Danger Score 88/100), vs a US average of 12.3.
Highest Traffic-Fatality Rates in Rhode Island
Cities ranked by Road Danger Score — 5-year traffic deaths per 100,000 residents from NHTSA FARS.
| # | City | Danger Score | Deaths per 100K/yr | Deaths (5-Yr) | Alcohol % | Speeding % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smithfield | 88/100 | 16.1 | 18 | 28% | 44% |
| 2 | Westerly | 60/100 | 9.3 | 11 | 46% | 27% |
| 3 | Lincoln | 36/100 | 6.0 | 7 | 29% | 57% |
| 4 | Cranston | 31/100 | 5.5 | 23 | 36% | 50% |
| 5 | Woonsocket | 31/100 | 5.5 | 12 | 42% | 50% |
| 6 | Warwick | 31/100 | 5.5 | 23 | 26% | 35% |
| 7 | Johnston | 29/100 | 5.3 | 8 | 43% | 29% |
| 8 | Providence | 29/100 | 5.3 | 51 | 36% | 46% |
| 9 | Pawtucket | 28/100 | 5.2 | 20 | 32% | 32% |
| 10 | South Kingstown | 26/100 | 5.0 | 8 | 38% | 25% |
| 11 | Newport | 24/100 | 4.8 | 6 | 33% | 17% |
| 12 | East Providence | 23/100 | 4.6 | 11 | 46% | 36% |
| 13 | West Warwick | 7/100 | 1.9 | 3 | 0% | 33% |
| 14 | North Providence | 6/100 | 1.7 | 3 | 0% | 0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most dangerous city to drive in in Rhode Island?
Smithfield, RI has the highest traffic-fatality rate in Rhode Island: 16.1 deaths per 100,000 residents per year (most recent five-year period, NHTSA FARS), a Road Danger Score of 88/100.
What causes traffic deaths in these cities?
Across these 14 cities, an average of 31% of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver and 34% involved speeding (NHTSA FARS, most recent five-year period). These shares run higher than the safest-city list, alongside structural factors like road type and speed limits.
How is the Road Danger Score calculated?
The Road Danger Score is a percentile ranking from 1 to 100 based on each city's five-year traffic-fatality rate (deaths per 100,000 residents per year) from NHTSA FARS data: 100 = most dangerous to drive in, 1 = safest. See the methodology page for the full formula.