Brains
When it comes to the most dangerous winter highways in the U.S., the pattern is clear: the ones exposed to quick weather changes, complex traffic movements, and terrain features that magnify the effects of ice and snow rise to the top.
- Related: Driving on Snow for Dummies
Each winter, these highways stand out for how quickly conditions can turn dangerous. Forecasts can shift without warning, and familiar routes can behave unpredictably when cold air or fast-moving squalls roll in. These corridors see sudden temperature drops, rapid icing, and limited visibility, especially on elevated stretches, open plains, and busy interchanges. Light snow can pack into slick surfaces within minutes, wind can sweep drifts across lanes, and bridges freeze long before the rest of the road, all of which raises the chance of serious crashes.
The data used to determine the most treacherous winter roads comes from Samsara’s multi-year analysis, which highlights several corridors that consistently show some of the sharpest increases in winter crash rates. The top nine are listed below.
#9 New Jersey Turnpike, New Jersey
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 230%
Top hotspot locations: Newark Bay / Jersey City interchange zone.
#8 I-80, Nebraska
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 263%
Top hotspot locations: North Platte; Kearney to Grand Island; Lincoln to Omaha.
#7 I-57, Illinois
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 267%
Top hotspot locations: South Chicago / Calumet; Effingham to Mattoon; Mt. Vernon to Marion
#6 I-70, Colorado
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 267%
Top hotspot locations: Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels; Vail Pass to Silverthorne; Glenwood Canyon.
- Related: Colorado’s “I-70 Problem”
#5 Bordentown Turnpike, New Jersey
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 288%
Top hotspots: Bordentown / Crosswicks Creek.
#4 Purple Heart Trail, Arizona
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 300%
Top hotspots: Flagstaff (I-17 / I-40); Winslow to Holbrook; Kingman to Colorado River approach.
#3 I-40, Arkansas
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 400%
Top hotspots: West Memphis (I-55 crossing); Little Rock (I-30 / I-430); Russellville to Conway.
#2 I-80, Wyoming
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 450%
Top hotspots: Elk Mountain / Arlington; Laramie to Cheyenne; Rock Springs / Green River.
#1 I-80, Iowa
Winter Crash Rate Increase: 625%
Top hotspots: Des Moines (Waukee / West Des Moines); Iowa City / Coralville; Council Bluffs to Omaha (Missouri River crossing).
Taken together, these corridors show how easily winter can overwhelm even the most familiar stretches of highway. The patterns behind the crash data aren’t about isolated storms or one-off events but about places where weather, terrain and traffic reliably collide. For anyone planning to travel during the colder months, the takeaway is simple: stay alert, check conditions often and never assume that a road that looked fine a few minutes ago will stay that way.
