Explore verified U.S. car accident statistics, traffic fatalities, crash injuries, driving-related risk factors, state comparisons, and recent road safety trends.
According to the latest available U.S. traffic crash data, NHTSA reports an estimated 6.18 million police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024, with about 2.42 million people injured. NHTSA's early estimate for 2025 projects 36,640 traffic deaths, down 6.7% from 39,254 in 2024, and its first 2026 estimate shows 7,770 deaths in January–March 2026. These figures cover all motor vehicles; passenger-car occupants accounted for 10,675 of the 2024 deaths.
Traffic crashes affect drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists in every U.S. state. National crash statistics show how often crashes happen, how many people are hurt or killed, and which behaviors appear most often in fatal crashes. Government data measure different things: a crash count tallies collisions, a fatality count tallies people who died, and an injury estimate tallies people hurt. The newest full-year crash and injury counts cover 2024, while 2025 and 2026 fatality figures are still early estimates. Each figure below names its source, reporting year, and whether it is final, annual-report, or an early estimate.
Source: NHTSA, Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026); NHTSA, Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate in 2025 (DOT HS 813 800, April 2026); NHTSA, Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate by Sub-Categories in 2025 (DOT HS 813 829, July 2026); NHTSA, Early Estimate for the First Quarter of 2026 (DOT HS 813 833, July 2026).
2025: NHTSA has released early estimates of 2025 deaths, including breakdowns by road user, age group, crash type, and state. National 2025 counts of police-reported crashes, injuries, and alcohol-impaired driving deaths have not yet been published.
2026: Only partial-year estimates exist. NHTSA's first-half 2026 estimate had not been released at the time of review.
| Measure | Estimate | Change | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic fatalities | 36,640 | −6.7% vs. 2024 | 2025 (early estimate) | NHTSA |
| Traffic fatalities | 7,770 | −4.3% vs. Q1 2025 | Jan–Mar 2026 (early estimate) | NHTSA |
| Motor vehicle deaths (NSC method) | 18,460 | −2% vs. H1 2025 | Jan–Jun 2026 (preliminary) | NSC |
Source: NHTSA, Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate in 2025 (DOT HS 813 800); NHTSA, Early Estimate for the First Quarter of 2026 (DOT HS 813 833, July 2026); National Safety Council preliminary estimate, 2026. NSC counts deaths using a different definition from NHTSA, so its figures are not directly comparable.
NHTSA's most recent full-year crash counts cover 2024. These are counts of crashes, not people, and they include all motor vehicle types, not only passenger cars.
| Crash Severity | Crashes | Reporting Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| All police-reported traffic crashes | 6,180,241 | 2024 | NHTSA (FARS/CRSS) |
| Fatal crashes | 36,297 | 2024 | NHTSA (FARS, actual count) |
| Injury crashes | 1,676,700 | 2024 | NHTSA (CRSS, estimate) |
| Property-damage-only crashes | 4,467,244 | 2024 | NHTSA (CRSS, estimate) |
Source: NHTSA, Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2024, Table 2 (FARS 2024 Annual Report File; CRSS 2024).
About 72% of police-reported crashes caused property damage only, and fewer than 1% were fatal. These estimates do not capture minor collisions never reported to police, and nonfatal totals come from a national sample, so they carry a margin of error. The 0.7% rise in total crashes from 2023 to 2024 was not statistically significant.
A fatal crash is one crash in which at least one person died within 30 days; fatalities count every person who died. Because one crash can kill several people, 2024 recorded 36,297 fatal crashes but 39,254 fatalities. Likewise, an injury crash differs from the number of people injured. Passenger vehicles include cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans, while passenger cars are a narrower group. The table below counts people.
| Person Type | Killed 2024 | Killed 2025 (Est.) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| All traffic fatalities | 39,254 | 36,640 | NHTSA |
| Passenger vehicle occupants | 22,713 | 20,490 | NHTSA |
| Passenger car occupants | 10,675 | Not yet published | NHTSA |
| Pedestrians | 7,080 | 6,529 | NHTSA |
| Motorcyclists | 6,228 | 5,758 | NHTSA |
| Bicyclists (pedalcyclists) | 1,103 | 1,148 | NHTSA |
Source: NHTSA, Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2024, Table 3; NHTSA, Early Estimates by Sub-Categories in 2025, Table 2. 2025 values are statistical projections.
An estimated 2,422,195 people were injured in 2024, including 877,252 passenger car occupants (NHTSA, CRSS estimate). Bicyclist deaths were the only major road-user group projected to rise in 2025. National 2025 injury estimates have not yet been published.
NHTSA tracks several factors in fatal crashes, but they overlap: one crash can involve speeding, alcohol, and an unbelted occupant at once. The figures below are therefore not a ranking and should not be added together. A recorded factor also does not establish legal fault.
| Reported Factor | Fatalities | Share of Deaths | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol-impaired driving (BAC .08+) | 11,904 | 30% | 2024 | NHTSA (FARS) |
| Speeding-related | 10,035 | 27% | 2025 (est.) | NHTSA |
| Unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants | 9,546 | 47% of PV occupant deaths | 2025 (est.) | NHTSA |
| Distraction-affected crashes | 3,208 | 8.2% | 2024 | NHTSA (FARS) |
| Drowsy driving | 644 | 1.6% | 2024 | NHTSA (FARS) |
Source: NHTSA, Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2024; NHTSA, Early Estimates by Sub-Categories in 2025. 2025 speeding share calculated as 10,035 ÷ 36,640; unrestrained share uses NHTSA's imputed estimate of 9,546 of 20,490 passenger vehicle occupant deaths.
Failure to yield, unsafe lane changes, roadway conditions, and weather are also studied, but NHTSA does not publish a single national count that ranks them alongside the factors above. National seat belt use was 91.3% in 2025, according to NHTSA's seat belt data, yet 48% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2024 (with known restraint use) were unbelted.
These categories overlap and should not be summed into a total of unique deaths. In 2024, of 41,912 passenger vehicle drivers in fatal crashes, 1,565 showed speeding, alcohol impairment, and no restraint use at once (NHTSA, 2024).
Crash types overlap; an intersection crash, for example, is often also a side-impact crash. National counts are shown only where NHTSA publishes them.
| Crash Type | What It Means | Verified Deaths | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-vehicle crash | One vehicle crashes alone, such as striking a fixed object or pedestrian, or leaving the road | 19,649 | 2025 (est.) | NHTSA |
| Multi-vehicle crash | Two or more motor vehicles collide | 16,991 | 2025 (est.) | NHTSA |
| Rollover crash | A vehicle tips onto its side or roof (passenger vehicle occupants killed) | 5,581 | 2025 (est.) | NHTSA |
| Hit-and-run crash | A driver involved in the crash leaves the scene without stopping | 2,758 | 2024 | NHTSA (FARS) |
| Rear-end collision | One vehicle strikes the back of another, often in slowing or stopped traffic | Not shown | — | — |
| Head-on collision | The front ends of two vehicles traveling in opposite directions collide | Not shown | — | — |
| Side-impact / T-bone collision | The front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, often at a right angle | Not shown | — | — |
| Intersection crash | Collisions at or near intersections, often involving turning or crossing traffic | Not shown | — | — |
Source: NHTSA, Early Estimates by Sub-Categories in 2025, Tables 1–2; NHTSA, Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2024. "Not shown" means a verified national count for 2024–2026 was not confirmed.
The table ranks the 10 states with the most estimated traffic fatalities in 2025, using one NHTSA dataset for every state.
| Rank | State | Fatalities 2025 (Est.) | Fatalities 2024 | Deaths per 100M VMT, 2025 (Est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 3,775 | 4,160 | 1.21 |
| 2 | California | 3,630 | 3,876 | 1.11 |
| 3 | Florida | 3,047 | 3,138 | 1.24 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 1,410 | 1,619 | 1.12 |
| 5 | Georgia | 1,307 | 1,403 | 1.02 |
| 6 | Illinois | 1,177 | 1,177 | 1.12 |
| 7 | Arizona | 1,161 | 1,229 | 1.50 |
| 8 | Ohio | 1,120 | 1,157 | 0.98 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 1,069 | 1,127 | 1.06 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 1,061 | 1,197 | 1.27 |
Source: NHTSA, Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate in 2025, Table 3 (2025 statistical projections; 2024 counts from the FARS 2024 Annual Report File). VMT = vehicle miles traveled.
Raw totals largely reflect population and miles driven. Per-mile rates are a better risk measure: NHTSA's 2025 estimates put the highest state rates in New Mexico (1.59), Mississippi (1.52), and South Carolina (1.51). A high total alone does not make a state the most dangerous.
NHTSA defines young drivers as ages 15–20 and older drivers as 65 and older. Counting crashes involving a driver of a given age differs from counting people killed in an age group.
| Measure | Number | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes involving young drivers (15–20) | 4,703 | 2024 | NHTSA (FARS) |
| Fatal crashes involving older drivers (65+) | 7,894 | 2024 | NHTSA (FARS) |
| People killed, ages 15–24 (all road users) | 6,113 | 2025 (est.) | NHTSA |
| People killed, ages 65+ (all road users) | 8,039 | 2025 (est.) | NHTSA |
Source: NHTSA, Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2024; NHTSA, Early Estimates by Sub-Categories in 2025, Table 1.
Fatal crashes involving young drivers fell 5.1% in 2024, while those involving older drivers rose 0.9%. In 2025, deaths fell in every age group except people 65 and older, which held roughly steady. These counts do not adjust for licensed drivers or miles driven, and involvement in a crash does not mean a driver caused it.
| Year | Traffic Fatalities | Change in Fatalities | Deaths per 100M VMT | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43,230 | +10.8% | 1.38 | Final |
| 2022 | 42,721 | −1.2% | 1.34 | Final |
| 2023 | 41,025 | −4.0% | 1.26 | Final |
| 2024 | 39,254 | −4.3% | 1.19 | Annual Report File |
| 2025 | 36,640 | −6.7% | 1.10 | Early estimate |
| 2026 (Jan–Mar only) | 7,770 | −4.3% vs. Q1 2025 | 0.99 | Early estimate, first quarter |
Source: NHTSA, Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate in 2025, Table 1 (FARS; FHWA Traffic Volume Trends mileage); NHTSA, Early Estimate for the First Quarter of 2026. Percentage change = ((new − previous) ÷ previous) × 100. The 2026 quarter is not comparable with full-year totals.
U.S. traffic deaths have fallen every year since the 2021 peak. The 2025 estimate is 6.7% below 2024 and about 14.2% below 2022, and NHTSA says the 2025 rate of 1.10 would be the second-lowest on record, behind 2014. Early 2026 marks the 16th consecutive quarter of declining deaths. The National Safety Council separately estimates 18,460 deaths in January–June 2026, about 2% below its revised first-half 2025 count. Federal data do not identify why the totals changed, and preliminary figures may be revised.
Federal statistics count crashes, injuries, and deaths; they do not count insurance claims, personal injury lawsuits, settlements, or court judgments. Many reported crashes never lead to a claim, and many claims settle through insurance without a lawsuit. A recorded crash factor does not establish negligence by any driver; responsibility depends on the evidence in each case and the governing state law. No reliable national dataset of car accident lawsuit counts or average settlements is used on this page.
| Organization or Dataset | Statistical Coverage |
|---|---|
| NHTSA | Crash reports, traffic fatalities, injury estimates, early fatality projections |
| FARS | Census of fatal traffic crashes on public roads (death within 30 days) |
| CRSS | Sample-based estimates of police-reported injury and property-damage-only crashes |
| FHWA | Vehicle miles traveled used to calculate fatality rates |
| CDC | Traffic-related injuries and public health context |
| IIHS | Crash fatality analyses and vehicle safety research |
| NSC | Roadway death estimates using its own broader counting method |
FARS fatality figures are actual counts; injury and nonfatal crash figures are statistical estimates with a margin of error. The newest year is first released as an Annual Report File and finalized about a year later, and early estimates are projections that NHTSA revises. National totals cover all motor vehicles, so passenger-car-only figures are labeled separately. Rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled adjust for how much people drive, and police-reported totals omit crashes never reported. Recorded crash factors do not establish legal causation, and crash counts are not lawsuit counts.
Data Last Reviewed: October 14, 2026
Police reported an estimated 6.18 million motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024, the latest full year NHTSA has published. That figure covers all motor vehicles, not just passenger cars, and includes 36,297 fatal crashes, 1.68 million injury crashes, and 4.47 million property-damage-only crashes. Comparable 2025 crash counts are not yet available.
NHTSA's early estimate shows 36,640 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2025, down 6.7% from 39,254 in 2024. The 2025 figure is preliminary and may be revised. For early 2026, NHTSA projects 7,770 deaths in January through March, continuing the decline.
An estimated 2,422,195 people were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024, according to NHTSA. That is a count of people, not crashes; those injuries came from about 1.68 million injury crashes. Passenger car occupants accounted for an estimated 877,252 of the people injured.
Alcohol impairment and speeding appear most often in NHTSA fatality data. Alcohol-impaired driving accounted for 11,904 deaths (30%) in 2024, and speeding for an estimated 10,035 deaths in 2025. These factors overlap, so they are not a single national ranking and should not be added together.
Texas had the most traffic fatalities in NHTSA's 2025 estimates, at 3,775, followed by California at 3,630 and Florida at 3,047. These are counts of people killed, not rates. Adjusted for miles driven, New Mexico, Mississippi, and South Carolina had the highest estimated 2025 fatality rates.
In 2024, 30% of U.S. traffic deaths, or 11,904 of 39,254, occurred in crashes involving a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 g/dL or higher, according to NHTSA. A 2025 percentage has not been published because alcohol test results take longer to report.
Decreasing. NHTSA data show traffic deaths falling from 43,230 in 2021 to an estimated 36,640 in 2025, and the fatality rate dropping from 1.38 to 1.10 per 100 million miles. Early 2026 estimates from NHTSA and the National Safety Council show further, smaller declines.
In 2024, 4,703 fatal crashes involved drivers aged 15–20, compared with 7,894 involving drivers 65 and older, according to NHTSA. These are raw counts that do not adjust for the number of drivers or miles driven, so they do not show which group has a higher crash risk per mile.
No. NHTSA crash statistics count reported crashes, injuries, and deaths. Insurance claims, lawsuits, settlements, and court judgments are separate records that are not part of these datasets, and most reported crashes never lead to a lawsuit.
National statistics show crash patterns but cannot decide responsibility for any single accident. Individual cases turn on negligence, accident evidence, injury severity, available insurance coverage, state law, and filing deadlines. A qualified attorney can review the specific facts.
This page provides general statistical and educational information. Numerical values reflect the identified source datasets and reporting years, and federal crash databases use different definitions and reporting methods. Early estimates for 2025 and 2026 and Annual Report File figures may change when data are finalized. Crash counts do not represent insurance claims, injury claims, or lawsuits, and reported crash factors do not establish legal fault. Legal responsibility depends on applicable law and case-specific evidence. This information is not legal advice. FindTheLawyers is not acting as your attorney, viewing this page does not create an attorney-client relationship, and no particular legal or compensation outcome is guaranteed.
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