Fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes are the third largest cause of accidental deaths in the United States. [3] [a]
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of preventable death for people aged 5–22, and the second most common cause for ages 23–67. [4] [ full citation needed ]
For pregnant women, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death. [5]
Between 1899 and 2022, there were 3,955,601 traffic fatalities in the United States. [6]
Motor vehicle fatalities in the United States are reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA only includes deaths that occur on public roads and excludes parking lots, driveways, and private roads. [7] It also excludes indirect car-related fatalities. For more details, see Transportation safety in the United States.
From the beginning of recorded statistics until the 1970s, total traffic deaths in the United States generally trended upwards, except during the Great Depression and World War II. From 1979 to 2005, the number of deaths per year decreased by 15%, while the number of deaths per capita decreased by 35%. The 32,479 traffic fatalities in 2011 were the lowest in 62 years, since 1949. [8]
In 2016, the NHTSA reported 37,461 deaths in 34,436 fatal motor vehicle crashes, an average of 102 per day. [9]
In 2022, there were 42,795 motor vehicle fatalities. [10] In 2023, the NHTSA reported 40,990 deaths, a 4.2% decrease from 2022, with a fatality rate of 1.27 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. [11] Early estimates for the first quarter of 2025 indicate 8,055 fatalities, down 6.3% from the same period in 2024, with a fatality rate of 1.05—the lowest quarterly rate since 2019. [12]
Year | Deaths | VMT– Vehicle miles traveled (billions) | Fatalities per 100 million VMT | Population | Fatalities per 100,000 population | Change in per capita fatalities from previous year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1899 | 26 [13] | |||||
1900 | 36 | 76,094,000 | 0.05 | NA | ||
1901 | 54 | 77,584,000 | 0.07 | ![]() | ||
1902 | 79 | 79,163,000 | 0.10 | ![]() | ||
1903 | 117 | 80,632,000 | 0.15 | ![]() | ||
1904 | 172 | 82,166,000 | 0.21 | ![]() | ||
1905 | 252 | 83,822,000 | 0.30 | ![]() | ||
1906 | 338 | 85,450,000 | 0.40 | ![]() | ||
1907 | 581 | 87,008,000 | 0.67 | ![]() | ||
1908 | 751 | 88,710,000 | 0.85 | ![]() | ||
1909 | 1,174 | 90,490,000 | 1.30 | ![]() | ||
1910 | 1,599 | 92,407,000 | 1.73 | ![]() | ||
1911 | 2,043 | 93,863,000 | 2.18 | ![]() | ||
1912 | 2,968 | 95,335,000 | 3.11 | ![]() | ||
1913 | 4,079 | 97,225,000 | 4.20 | ![]() | ||
1914 | 4,468 | 99,111,000 | 4.51 | ![]() | ||
1915 | 6,779 | 100,546,000 | 6.74 | ![]() | ||
1916 | 7,766 | 101,961,000 | 7.62 | ![]() | ||
1917 | 9,630 | 103,268,000 | 9.33 | ![]() | ||
1918 | 10,390 | 103,208,000 | 10.07 | ![]() | ||
1919 | 10,896 | 104,514,000 | 10.42 | ![]() | ||
1920 | 12,155 | 106,461,000 | 11.42 | ![]() | ||
1921 | 13,253 | 55 | 24.09 | 108,538,000 | 12.21 | ![]() |
1922 | 14,859 | 67 | 21.95 | 110,049,000 | 13.50 | ![]() |
1923 | 17,870 | 85 | 21.03 | 111,947,000 | 15.96 | ![]() |
1924 | 18,400 | 104 | 17.55 | 114,109,000 | 16.13 | ![]() |
1925 | 20,771 | 122 | 16.98 | 115,829,000 | 17.93 | ![]() |
1926 | 22,194 | 140 | 15.77 | 117,397,000 | 18.91 | ![]() |
1927 | 24,470 | 158 | 15.44 | 119,035,000 | 20.56 | ![]() |
1928 | 26,557 | 172 | 15.36 | 120,509,000 | 22.04 | ![]() |
1929 | 29,592 | 197 | 14.97 | 121,767,000 | 24.30 | ![]() |
1930 | 31,204 | 206 | 15.12 | 123,076,741 | 25.35 | ![]() |
1931 | 31,963 | 216 | 14.79 | 124,039,648 | 25.77 | ![]() |
1932 | 27,979 | 200 | 13.95 | 124,840,471 | 22.41 | ![]() |
1933 | 29,746 | 200 | 14.83 | 125,578,763 | 23.69 | ![]() |
1934 | 34,240 | 215 | 15.88 | 126,373,773 | 27.09 | ![]() |
1935 | 34,494 | 228 | 15.09 | 127,250,232 | 27.11 | ![]() |
1936 | 36,126 | 252 | 14.33 | 128,053,180 | 28.21 | ![]() |
1937 | 37,819 | 270 | 14.00 | 128,824,829 | 29.36 | ![]() |
1938 | 31,083 | 271 | 11.46 | 129,824,939 | 23.94 | ![]() |
1939 | 30,895 | 285 | 10.83 | 130,879,718 | 23.61 | ![]() |
1940 | 32,914 | 302 | 10.89 | 132,122,446 | 24.91 | ![]() |
1941 | 38,142 | 333 | 11.43 | 133,402,471 | 28.59 | ![]() |
1942 | 27,007 | 268 | 10.07 | 134,859,553 | 20.03 | ![]() |
1943 | 22,727 | 208 | 10.92 | 136,739,353 | 16.62 | ![]() |
1944 | 23,165 | 212 | 10.89 | 138,397,345 | 16.74 | ![]() |
1945 | 26,785 | 250 | 10.71 | 139,928,165 | 19.14 | ![]() |
1946 | 31,874 | 340 | 9.35 | 141,388,566 | 22.54 | ![]() |
1947 | 31,193 | 370 | 8.41 | 144,126,071 | 21.64 | ![]() |
1948 | 30,775 | 397 | 7.73 | 146,631,302 | 21.00 | ![]() |
1949 | 30,246 | 424 | 7.13 | 149,188,130 | 20.27 | ![]() |
1950 | 33,186 | 458 | 7.24 | 152,271,417 | 21.79 | ![]() |
1951 | 35,309 | 491 | 7.19 | 154,877,889 | 22.80 | ![]() |
1952 | 36,088 | 513 | 7.03 | 157,552,740 | 22.91 | ![]() |
1953 | 36,190 | 544 | 6.65 | 160,184,192 | 22.59 | ![]() |
1954 | 33,890 | 561 | 6.03 | 163,025,854 | 20.79 | ![]() |
1955 | 36,688 | 605 | 6.06 | 165,931,202 | 22.11 | ![]() |
1956 | 37,965 | 627 | 6.05 | 168,903,031 | 22.48 | ![]() |
1957 | 36,932 | 647 | 5.71 | 171,984,130 | 21.47 | ![]() |
1958 | 35,331 | 664 | 5.32 | 174,881,904 | 20.20 | ![]() |
1959 | 36,223 | 700 | 5.17 | 177,829,628 | 20.37 | ![]() |
1960 | 36,399 | 718 | 5.06 | 180,671,158 | 20.15 | ![]() |
1961 | 36,285 | 737 | 4.92 | 183,691,481 | 19.75 | ![]() |
1962 | 38,980 | 766 | 5.08 | 186,537,737 | 20.90 | ![]() |
1963 | 41,723 | 805 | 5.18 | 189,241,798 | 22.05 | ![]() |
1964 | 45,645 | 846 | 5.39 | 191,888,791 | 23.79 | ![]() |
1965 | 47,089 | 887 | 5.30 | 194,302,963 | 24.24 | ![]() |
1966 | 50,894 | 925 | 5.50 | 196,560,338 | 25.89 | ![]() |
1967 | 50,724 | 964 | 5.26 | 198,712,056 | 25.53 | ![]() |
1968 | 52,725 | 1,015 | 5.19 | 200,706,052 | 26.27 | ![]() |
1969 | 53,543 | 1,061 | 5.04 | 202,676,946 | 26.42 | ![]() |
1970 | 52,627 | 1,109 | 4.74 | 205,052,174 | 25.67 | ![]() |
1971 | 52,542 | 1,178 | 4.46 | 207,660,677 | 25.30 | ![]() |
1972 | 54,589 | 1,259 | 4.33 | 209,896,021 | 26.01 | ![]() |
1973 | 54,052 | 1,313 | 4.12 | 211,908,788 | 25.51 | ![]() |
1974 | 45,196 | 1,280 | 3.53 | 213,853,928 | 21.13 | ![]() |
1975 | 44,525 | 1,327 | 3.35 | 215,973,199 | 20.62 | ![]() |
1976 | 45,523 | 1,402 | 3.25 | 218,035,164 | 20.88 | ![]() |
1977 | 47,878 | 1,467 | 3.26 | 220,239,425 | 21.74 | ![]() |
1978 | 50,331 | 1,544 | 3.26 | 222,584,545 | 22.61 | ![]() |
1979 | 51,093 | 1,529 | 3.34 | 225,055,487 | 22.70 | ![]() |
1980 | 51,091 | 1,527 | 3.35 | 227,224,681 | 22.48 | ![]() |
1981 | 49,301 | 1,552 | 3.18 | 229,465,714 | 21.49 | ![]() |
1982 | 43,945 | 1,595 | 2.76 | 231,664,458 | 18.97 | ![]() |
1983 | 42,589 | 1,652 | 2.58 | 233,791,994 | 18.22 | ![]() |
1984 | 44,257 | 1,720 | 2.57 | 235,824,902 | 18.77 | ![]() |
1985 | 43,825 | 1,774 | 2.47 | 237,923,795 | 18.42 | ![]() |
1986 | 46,087 | 1,834 | 2.51 | 240,132,887 | 19.19 | ![]() |
1987 | 46,390 | 1,921 | 2.42 | 242,288,918 | 19.15 | ![]() |
1988 | 47,087 | 2,025 | 2.32 | 244,498,982 | 19.26 | ![]() |
1989 | 45,582 | 2,096 | 2.17 | 246,819,230 | 18.47 | ![]() |
1990 | 44,599 | 2,144 | 2.08 | 249,464,396 | 17.88 | ![]() |
1991 | 41,508 | 2,172 | 1.91 | 252,153,092 | 16.46 | ![]() |
1992 | 39,250 | 2,247 | 1.75 | 255,029,699 | 15.39 | ![]() |
1993 | 40,150 | 2,296 | 1.75 | 257,782,608 | 15.58 | ![]() |
1994 | 40,716 | 2,358 | 1.73 | 260,327,021 | 15.64 | ![]() |
1995 | 41,817 | 2,423 | 1.73 | 262,803,276 | 15.91 | ![]() |
1996 | 42,065 | 2,486 | 1.69 | 265,228,572 | 15.86 | ![]() |
1997 | 42,013 | 2,562 | 1.64 | 267,783,607 | 15.69 | ![]() |
1998 | 41,501 | 2,632 | 1.58 | 270,248,003 | 15.36 | ![]() |
1999 | 41,717 | 2,691 | 1.55 | 272,690,813 | 15.30 | ![]() |
2000 | 41,945 | 2,747 | 1.53 | 282,216,952 | 14.86 | ![]() |
2001 [14] | 42,196 | 2,797 | 1.51 | 285,226,284 | 14.79 | ![]() |
2002 | 43,005 | 2,856 | 1.51 | 288,125,973 | 14.93 | ![]() |
2003 | 42,884 | 2,890 | 1.48 | 290,796,023 | 14.75 | ![]() |
2004 | 42,836 | 2,965 | 1.44 | 293,638,158 | 14.59 | ![]() |
2005 | 43,510 | 2,989 | 1.46 | 296,507,061 | 14.67 | ![]() |
2006 | 42,708 | 3,014 | 1.42 | 299,398,484 | 14.27 | ![]() |
2007 | 41,259 | 3,031 | 1.36 | 301,139,947 | 13.70 | ![]() |
2008 | 37,423 | 2,977 | 1.26 | 303,824,640 | 12.32 | ![]() |
2009 | 33,883 | 2,957 | 1.15 | 306,700,000 | 11.05 | ![]() |
2010 [14] | 32,999 | 2,967 | 1.11 | 309,326,000 | 10.67 | ![]() |
2011 [15] | 32,479 | 2,950 | 1.10 | 311,588,000 | 10.42 | ![]() |
2012 [16] | 33,782 | 2,969 | 1.14 | 313,914,000 | 10.75 | ![]() |
2013 | 32,893 | 2,988 | 1.10 | 316,129,000 | 10.40 | ![]() |
2014 | 32,744 | 3,026 | 1.08 | 318,860,000 | 10.28 | ![]() |
2015 | 35,485 | 3,095 | 1.15 | 321,370,000 | 11.06 | ![]() |
2016 [17] | 37,806 | 3,174 | 1.19 | 323,121,000 | 11.59 | ![]() |
2017 [17] [18] | 37,473 | 3,213 | 1.16 | 326,213,213 | 11.40 | ![]() |
2018 [18] [19] | 36,835 | 3,223 | 1.13 | 327,096,265 | 11.18 | ![]() |
2019 [20] | 36,355 | 3,248 | 1.10 | 328,231,337 [21] | 10.99 | ![]() |
2020 [22] | 38,824 | 2,904 | 1.34 | 331,449,281 [23] | 11.67 | ![]() |
2021 [24] | 43,230 [25] | 3,230 [26] | 1.38 | 332,915,073 [27] | 13.02 | ![]() |
2022 [10] | 42,514 [25] | 3,196 | 1.35 (estimate) 1.33 (division) | 338,289,857 [27] | 12.76 | ![]() |
For recent years, data may not be as consistent as previous years, due to different methods (estimates) or different sources | ||||||
2023 | 40,990 [28] | 3,263 [29] | 1.27 | 339,996,563 [30] | 12.06 | ![]() |
2024 | ~39,345 (estimate) [31] |