- The most dangerous city to drive in Oklahoma is Durant, with the highest fatality rate recorded.
- Oklahoma City saw over 1,500 traffic deaths, making it the deadliest city by total fatalities.
- In Shawnee, about 1 in 400 residents died in a crash in the past five years, one of the highest per capita rates in the state.
Traffic crashes in the U.S. cause $1.85 trillion in yearly total harm – $460 billion in economic losses and $1.4 trillion in quality-of-life impacts, according to TRIP. A recent study by Hasbrook & Hasbrook Personal Injury Lawyers ranked 27 Oklahoma cities with at least 20K residents using five years of fatal crash and pedestrian death data. Total fatalities were combined and adjusted per 10K residents using the most recent population estimates. Cities were ordered from highest to lowest based on their fatality rate per capita. This approach helped highlight areas with disproportionately high traffic death rates, regardless of population size.
Findings summed up
| State/City | Population | Number of Fatalities | Fatalities per 10K |
| Durant | 20,296 | 57 | 28.1 |
| Shawnee | 31,803 | 81 | 25.5 |
| Tulsa | 411,894 | 1039 | 25.2 |
| Oklahoma City | 702,767 | 1,537 | 21.9 |
| Ardmore | 24,847 | 49 | 19.7 |
| Duncan | 23,170 | 44 | 19.0 |
| Sand Springs | 20,075 | 36 | 17.9 |
| Sapulpa | 22,981 | 41 | 17.8 |
| Norman | 130,046 | 189 | 14.5 |
| Moore | 63,470 | 81 | 12.8 |
The most dangerous city in Oklahoma is Durant, with the highest traffic fatality rate in the state, with 28.1 deaths for every 10K residents. That’s the equivalent of nearly 3 in every 1,000 people dying in a traffic-related incident over five years. With only about 20K residents, the city records a total of 57 deaths, which points to a serious local safety issue.
Shawnee comes in second, with 25.5 deaths. It had 81 fatalities over five years, despite having fewer than 32K residents. This rate is nearly as high as Durant’s, showing that smaller cities can be just as deadly for drivers and pedestrians.
Tulsa is the third most dangerous city for drivers in Oklahoma, with 25.2 deaths from fatal crashes. It’s a much larger city, yet the fatality rate is almost identical to Shawnee’s. With 1,039 fatalities over five years, the scale of Tulsa’s road safety problem stands out.
Oklahoma City is fourth, with a fatal crash rate of 21.9. The city had 1,537 deaths over five years, the highest number in the state. But with a population more than twice that of Tulsa, its rate is lower. Still, it means roughly 1 in every 450 residents was killed in a traffic-related accident.
Ardmore lands fifth with a road fatality rate of 19.7, making it one of the most dangerous cities to drive in Oklahoma. That adds up to a total of 49 deaths in a city of about 24.8K. Compared to larger cities, Ardmore’s numbers suggest a greater concentration of risk despite a smaller population base.
Duncan ranks sixth, recording 44 traffic deaths overall and a fatality rate of 19. Its numbers are close to Ardmore’s, even though Duncan has fewer people. That shows how traffic risks stay high in cities of this size, no matter the small differences.
Sand Springs takes the seventh spot with 17.9 out of 10K experiencing fatal crashes. The city recorded 36 deaths in total, which is high for its size. That figure translates to about 1 in every 560 residents being killed in a crash over five years.
Sapulpa follows closely in eighth place, as one of the most dangerous cities for drivers in Oklahoma, with a fatal crash rate of 17.8. The city had 41 deaths and a population just under 23K. Its rates are almost the same as Sand Springs, showing that smaller cities in Oklahoma often face similar risks on the road.
Norman comes in ninth with a lower rate, at 14.5 deaths. But it had 189 traffic fatalities overall, the third-highest total in the state. Its population of over 130K keeps the rate lower, but the number of deaths remains high.
Moore rounds out the top ten with a fatality rate of 12.8. That includes 81 deaths, equal to Shawnee’s total, but spread across a larger population of over 63K. While Moore’s rate is the lowest in this group, it still represents significant risk on the roads.
Clayton Hasbrook from Hasbrook & Hasbrook Personal Injury Lawyers commented on the study: “Smaller cities are showing some of the highest fatal crash rates in Oklahoma. It’s not just a big-city issue. In fact, people in smaller communities may be facing even greater risks on the road. These numbers highlight the need for targeted safety improvements across cities of all sizes.”