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Did tanks damage the roads in DC?
Army officials say the tanks used in the weekend's US Army 250th birthday parade caused no damage to the roads along the National Mall and Washington, DC. Battle tanks can way over 100,000lbs and can possibly do damage to public streets.
A new report from analytics data company StreeLight has revealed the U.S. cities with the safest and most dangerous streets in 2026.
StreetLight’s data scientists ranked the top 100 most populated metros across five key roadway safety impact factors, including how fast vehicles go, the prevalence of trucks and the vehicle miles traveled.
New York, Boston rank high for roadway safety
By the numbers:
The Safe Streets Index report found that more driving, higher speeds, and more truck activity were associated with higher roadway risk.
Overall, the top 10 best-performing metros for roadway safety were concentrated on the coasts, with New York and Boston leading the pack.
Larger metros performed better overall for roadway safety, despite popular misconceptions that big cities are more dangerous. The mean safety rank for metros with more than one million residents was 47 vs. 57 for metros with less than one million residents.
Traffic on Interstate 395 in Alexandria, Virginia, US, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Credit: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Boston was the only metro studied that scored in the top 30 across all five safety factors. The data noted that Boston’s older layout and often snowier conditions may help keep the city's speeds low and consistent.
In addition, dense, transit centric-metros like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago ranked high for limiting vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) exposure, the highest-weighted factor in the overall ranking. All three cities ranked in the top 20 for safety.
The best-performing metros for managing residential speeds were concentrated in the Upper Midwest and Northeast and included metros of all sizes. Only two big metros made the top 10 for residential speed management: Los Angeles and Miami.
Top 10 cities with safest streets, according to data
- New York, NY
- Boston, MA
- Portland, WA
- Boise, ID
- Spokane, WA
Read the full report here.
Top 10 most dangerous streets, according to data
- Bakersfield, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Riverside, CA
- Jackson, MS
- Fresno, CA
- Chattanooga, TN
- Birmingham, AL
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Phoenix, AZ
- Memphis, TN
Read the full report here.
Highways on West Coast among the deadliest
Big picture view:
Meanwhile, a study published last year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that highways on the West Coast were among the deadliest in the U.S.
RELATED: The 100 deadliest highways in the US - see the list
The study found California had three highways in the top 10 of the most dangerous highways in America, including the top spot, Interstate 15 in San Bernardino County.
The data showed there were 80 fatal crashes over three years, more than any other highway in the nation.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, crashes resulting in an injury or fatality reached 2.4 million in the U.S.
In addition, pedestrian fatalities have been steadily rising since 2009, according to the National Safety Council.
The Source: The Safe Streets Index ranked the top 100 most-populated metros across five key roadway safety impact factors. This story was reported from Los Angeles. Previous FOX Local reporting contributed.