TENNESSEE - A new traffic safety analysis suggests Tennessee drivers face a sharply elevated risk when rain begins to fall, with the state ranking as the fifth deadliest in the nation for rainfall-related traffic fatalities.
The report examined fatal crashes from 2020 through 2024 and found that Tennessee recorded 537 rain-related traffic deaths during that five-year period. That equals an average of 107.4 deaths each year, or nearly nine fatalities every month tied to rainy driving conditions. The state’s fatality rate was calculated at 2.13 deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers, which is 1.8 times higher than the national average of 1.16.
The numbers place Tennessee behind only Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama among the deadliest states for wet-weather driving. Mississippi ranked first, with a rate of 2.93 deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers, followed by West Virginia at 2.54, Kentucky at 2.22 and Alabama at 2.17. Tennessee followed closely behind at 2.13.
The findings are especially notable because Tennessee’s road network includes a wide mix of rural two-lane highways, mountainous routes, aging interstate corridors and heavily traveled commuter roads around growing cities such as Nashville, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis. In Middle Tennessee, wet pavement can quickly become a hazard on busy corridors such as Interstate 24, Interstate 840, Interstate 65, Interstate 40 and numerous state highways used daily by commuters, commercial drivers and school traffic.
The study also compared Tennessee with its eight bordering states. Tennessee’s rainfall-related fatality rate was worse than Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Missouri. However, Mississippi, Kentucky and Alabama each posted higher rates. Arkansas was nearly identical to Tennessee, with a rate only 0.03 points lower, while Missouri showed the widest gap among neighboring states, coming in 0.74 points below Tennessee.
Among the ten deadliest states listed in the report, nine were in the South, with Oregon being the only exception. That regional pattern suggests rainfall-related traffic deaths are not simply tied to rain frequency alone, but may also involve road design, speed, driver behavior, rural crash response times, pavement conditions and how quickly motorists adjust to changing weather.
The report found Tennessee’s deadliest year for rain-related traffic fatalities was 2020, when 117 people died in crashes connected to rainfall. The lowest year in the five-year review was 2022, when 99 fatalities were recorded. Even in the lowest year, Tennessee remained near the top nationally for the rate of deadly rain-related crashes.
When compared with the safest states, Tennessee’s rate stands out even more. The ten safest states averaged only 0.51 rain-related traffic deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers. Tennessee’s rate of 2.13 was more than four times higher than that average. Nevada ranked as the safest state, with a rate of 0.32, meaning Tennessee’s rate was 6.7 times higher.
The report’s methodology used fatal crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, commonly known as FARS. Researchers filtered for crashes classified as rainfall-related by atmospheric condition at the time of the crash. Licensed driver totals came from the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Statistics Series, and each state was ranked based on average annual deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers.
For Tennessee drivers, the findings point to a simple but serious warning: rain should not be treated as a routine inconvenience. Even a brief storm can reduce visibility, increase stopping distance and create slick pavement, particularly during the first minutes of rainfall when oil and debris rise to the road surface.
Safety officials often urge motorists to slow down, increase following distance, turn on headlights, avoid sudden braking and give extra space to larger vehicles. Drivers are also encouraged to check tire tread, replace worn wipers and avoid cruise control during wet conditions.
The research was conducted by Blakeley Law Firm, a Florida-based personal injury law firm.
