Ann Arbor Ranks Michigan's Safest City for Winter Driving
A Priority Tire study ranks Ann Arbor first among Michigan metro areas for winter road safety based on fatal crash rates.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Car Types
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Priority Tire released a study ranking Ann Arbor as Michigan's safest city for winter driving. Ann Arbor averaged 1.42 winter road deaths per 100,000 residents each year from 2014 to 2023.
Why it matters
The ranking gives Ann Arbor drivers a benchmark for winter road risk across Michigan's 15 metro areas, which recorded 1,444 winter road deaths over the last decade. The study compares fatal crash records from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with Census Bureau population figures.
Ann Arbor recorded 53 winter road deaths over 10 years, while the Detroit area recorded 663, the most in the state. Michigan's statewide roadway deaths fell 3% to 1,065 in 2025.
The players
Priority Tire
Priority Tire is a tire retailer that published the winter driving safety study ranking Michigan metro areas.
Michigan State Police
The Michigan State Police is the state agency that released final 2025 crash data for Michigan roadways.
The details
Priority Tire's study defined winter as December, January and February and counted 53 winter road deaths in the Ann Arbor area over the last 10 years. Ann Arbor had 2,850 total crashes in 2025, of which 5 were fatal, according to state data.
Timeline
2014 to 2023: Period covered by the study's winter road death averages for Ann Arbor.
2025: Year in which Michigan roadway deaths declined 3% from 2024.
Aug. 6: Michigan State Police released final 2025 crash data.
Nov. 15: World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims held at the Lansing Capitol.
Car Types
The ranking uses NHTSA fatal crash records, the federal dataset that tracks fatal crashes nationwide, to compare Ann Arbor's winter driving risk with 15 Michigan metro areas. It places Ann Arbor's winter record against the state's wider winter crash pattern.
Ann Arbor drivers facing winter conditions can use the ranking to compare local risk with other Michigan cities. Choosing vehicles and tires suited to winter roads is a practical step for daily commuters.
The takeaway
Ann Arbor's lower winter road death rate offers a reference point for drivers planning for snow and ice. Checking tire and vehicle readiness before winter can reduce everyday risk on local roads.
Further reading
For more on how vehicle choices affect winter safety, see Car Types coverage across Michigan.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mlive.
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