Atlanta drivers are more than 40 percent more likely to have a car accident compared to the national average, according to a ranking by personal finance website NerdWallet.

The ranking named Atlanta the no. 7 most dangerous U.S. city for drivers.

The folks over at NerdWallet studied nearly 200 of the nation's most populated cities, pulled data on vehicle-related crimes, car crashes, number of fatal accidents and more to ultimately determine which cities are the safest and most dangerous for drivers.

Per every 100,000 residents, Atlanta drivers average 10.7 fatal accidents. Drivers in the study's most dangerous city—Detroit, Michigan—average 16.2 fatal accidents.

Based on auto larceny and motor vehicle theft data, Atlanta was deemed "least safe" among categories like "safe," "less safe," etc.

NerdWallet's analysis also led to three key takeaways:

1. Larger cities tend to be more dangerous.

2. Drivers in cities in the South and East coasts face higher risks.

3. Auto insurance rates are nearly 50 percent more expensive in the most dangerous cities.

With a rate of $1,050.03 per year, Atlantans pay an average of $321 more annually for car insurance than the No. 1 safest city, Cary, North Carolina. Drivers in Detroit pay nearly $4,680 more than that.

Below are the top 7 most dangerous and safest cities in the U.S., according to NerdWallet's analysis.

Most dangerous:

1. Detroit, Michigan

2. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

3. Baltimore, Maryland

4. Springfield, Massachusetts

5. San Bernardino, California

6. New Orleans, Louisiana

7. Atlanta, Georgia

Most safe:

1. Cary, North Carolina

2. Boise, Idaho

3. Fort Collins, Colorado

4. Naperville, Illinois

5. Santa Clarita, California

6. Overland Park, Kansas

7. Gilbert, Arizona

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Cuthbert is the county seat of Randolph County, one of 94 Georgia counties that registered more deaths than births in 2024. The county's hospital closed in 2020, leaving longtime state Rep. Gerald Greene to drivce himself 46 miles to Albany while suffering from a kidney stone recently. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC