160+ Car Accident Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found a relative increase in seat belt use over the last five years, but that has not stopped the high rate of car accidents and car accident fatalities. In the first 3 months of 2024 it was estimated that 8,650 people were killed in car accidents. In 2022 5.8 million people were involved in non-fatal car accidents.
Many of the leading factors contributing to an increase in car accidents have to do with drunk driving or distracted driving, speeding, age, gender, even weather. This page will provide key statistics around car accidents.
Key Takeaways
59% of all car accidents in the United States take place in urban areas with the other 41% in rural regions.
37 people die every day in drunk driving accidents in the United States.
7,971 people over the age of 65 were killed in car accidents in 2022.
There has been a 15% increase in total car crash fatalities since 2015.
Nearly half of all drivers who were killed in a car accident were not wearing seat belts.
Car Accidents By State
California has the highest rate of traffic fatalities in large part because of the high traffic and complicated highways. In 2022 California had 4,428 deaths from car accidents.
By comparison Washington DC may have the highest rate of urban car accidents but they have the lowest number of total car accident fatalities. In 2022, Washington DC had 32 deaths from car accidents.
The table below indicates the state population, followed by annual fatalities from car accidents in 2022, and the average deaths across all states per 100,000 people:
| State | Population | Deaths | Deaths per 100,000 population |
| Alabama | 5,074,296 | 988 | 19.5 |
| Alaska | 733,583 | 82 | 11.2 |
| Arizona | 7,359,197 | 1,302 | 17.7 |
| Arkansas | 3,045,637 | 643 | 21.1 |
| California | 39,029,342 | 4,428 | 11.3 |
| Colorado | 5,839,926 | 764 | 13.1 |
| Connecticut | 3,626,205 | 359 | 9.9 |
| Delaware | 1,018,396 | 162 | 15.9 |
| District of Columbia | 671,803 | 32 | 4.8 |
| Florida | 22,244,823 | 3,530 | 15.9 |
| Georgia | 10,912,876 | 1,797 | 16.5 |
| Hawaii | 1,440,196 | 116 | 8.1 |
| Idaho | 1,939,033 | 215 | 11.1 |
| Illinois | 12,582,032 | 1,268 | 10.1 |
| Indiana | 6,833,037 | 949 | 13.9 |
| Iowa | 3,200,517 | 338 | 10.6 |
| Kansas | 2,937,150 | 410 | 14.0 |
| Kentucky | 4,512,310 | 744 | 16.5 |
| Louisiana | 4,590,241 | 906 | 19.7 |
| Maine | 1,385,340 | 182 | 13.1 |
| Maryland | 6,164,660 | 564 | 9.1 |
| Massachusetts | 6,981,974 | 434 | 6.2 |
| Michigan | 10,034,113 | 1,124 | 11.2 |
| Minnesota | 5,717,184 | 444 | 7.8 |
| Mississippi | 2,940,057 | 703 | 23.9 |
| Missouri | 6,177,957 | 1,057 | 17.1 |
| Montana | 1,122,867 | 213 | 19.0 |
| Nebraska | 1,967,923 | 244 | 12.4 |
| Nevada | 3,177,772 | 416 | 13.1 |
| New Hampshire | 1,395,231 | 146 | 10.5 |
| New Jersey | 9,261,699 | 685 | 7.4 |
| New Mexico | 2,113,344 | 466 | 22.1 |
| New York | 19,677,151 | 1,175 | 6.0 |
| North Carolina | 10,698,973 | 1,630 | 15.2 |
| North Dakota | 779,261 | 98 | 12.6 |
| Ohio | 11,756,058 | 1,275 | 10.8 |
| Oklahoma | 4,019,800 | 710 | 17.7 |
| Oregon | 4,240,137 | 601 | 14.2 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,972,008 | 1,179 | 9.1 |
| Rhode Island | 1,093,734 | 52 | 4.8 |
| South Carolina | 5,282,634 | 1,094 | 20.7 |
| South Dakota | 909,824 | 137 | 15.1 |
| Tennessee | 7,051,339 | 1,314 | 18.6 |
| Texas | 30,029,572 | 4,408 | 14.7 |
| Utah | 3,380,800 | 319 | 9.4 |
| Vermont | 647,064 | 76 | 11.7 |
| Virginia | 8,683,619 | 1,008 | 11.6 |
| Washington | 7,785,786 | 733 | 9.4 |
| West Virginia | 1,775,156 | 264 | 14.9 |
| Wisconsin | 5,892,539 | 596 | 10.1 |
| Wyoming | 581,381 | 134 | 23.0 |
| U.S. total | 333,287,557 | 42,514 | 12.8 |
Car Crash Fatalities
Car crash fatalities are divided by region. Two of the 10 regions saw an increase in car crash fatalities from 2022 until 2023 while all the others saw a decrease.
- 15%: Region 1 (MA, ME, NH, RI, VT) had a 15% decrease in fatal car accidents from 2022 to 2023.
- 7%: Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI) had a 7% decrease in fatal car accidents from 2022 to 2023.
- 5%: Region 8 (CO, NV, UT, WY) had a 5% decrease in fatal car accidents from 2022 to 2023.
- 5%: Region 10 (AK, ID, MT, OR, WA) had a 5% increase in fatal car accidents from 2022 to 2023.
- 1%: Region 3 (DC, DE, KY, MD, NC, VA, WV) had a 1% increase in fatal car accidents from 2022 to 2023.
All other regions had a 4% decrease during the same time.
Fatal Crash Trends
Fatal crash trends over the last 9 years have shown an uptick in the total car crash fatalities. There has been a 15% increase in total car crash fatalities since 2015.
The table below indicates the total number of fatal crash figures from 2015 to 2022 broken down by driving under the influence and speeding.
| Year | Total Crash Fatalities | Driving Under the Influence Fatalities | Speeding Fatalities |
| 2022 | 42,514 | 13,524 | 12,151 |
| 2021 | 42,939 | 13,384 | 12,330 |
| 2020 | 38,824 | 11,654 | 11,258 |
| 2019 | 36,096 | 10,142 | 9,478 |
| 2018 | 36,560 | 10,511 | 9,378 |
| 2017 | 37,133 | 10,874 | 9,717 |
| 2016 | 34,748 | 10,497 | 10,111 |
| 2015 | 35,092 | 10,265 | 9,557 |
Drunk Driving
Drinking and driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) below the legal limit of .08% is not against the law. However drunk driving with any degree of alcohol in your system can lead to increased risks of car accidents and crash fatalities.
- 37: 37 people die every day in drunk driving accidents in the United States.
- 43%: 43% of Americans have admitted that they have driven under the influence.
- 23.2%: 23.2% of Americans admit to drinking and driving in the last 30 days.
- 13,524: 13,524 people died in alcohol-related accidents in 2022.
- 32%: 32% of accident fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk drivers with a BAC over the legal limit.
- 2,337: In 2022, 2,337 people were killed in accidents where the driver had a BAC under the legal limit.
- 22%: In 2022, 22% of drivers between the ages of 15 and 18 who were involved in fatal car accidents were under the influence.
- 17%: Between 2012 and 2021, 17% of drivers involved in fatal car accidents impaired by alcohol were between 15 and 20 representing a steady figure over the last 10 years.
- 12x: Drivers between 16 and 20 with BACs between 0.05% and 0.079% are 12 times more likely to get involved in a car accident.
- 32x: Drivers between 16 and 20 with BACs between 0.08% and 0.099% are 32 times more likely to get involved in a car accident.
Main Causes Of Car Accidents
The main causes of car accidents are:
- Alcohol impaired driving: Intoxicated drivers were involved in 32% of all traffic fatalities in 2022.
- Speeding: Speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2022 with over 33 people killed on a daily basis because of speeding.
- Lack of seat belts: Nearly half of all drivers who were killed in a car accident were not wearing seat belts.
- Distracted driving: Distracted driving represents nearly 300,000 injuries from car accidents and over 3,000 deaths. Drowsy driving in particular causes over 6000 deaths annually.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving represents a significant issue across all 50 states, primarily because of cell phone use as more than 80% of drivers use their phones while driving, particularly for texting. Despite the fact that it is illegal to text and drive in 48 states and there are other distracted driving laws in effect, fatality rates from distracted driving have remained problematic.
Taking your eyes off the road for something as simple as a text message requires at least 5 seconds of your time which places you at a high risk for car accidents.
- 44,518: 44,518 car accidents happened in 2021 because drivers were using their cell phones.
- 3,308: In 2022, distracted driving killed 3,308 people.
- 3,522: In 2021, 3,522 people died because of distracted driving.
- 12%: 12% of all distracted driving accidents that result in a fatality are because of texting and driving.
- 8%: 8% of all distracted driving accidents that are not fatal are because of texting and driving.
- 410: In 2021 410 people were killed because of accidents involving texting and driving specifically.
- 693: 693 people died in car accidents in 2022 related to drowsy driving.
- 91,000: It is estimated that there are over 91,000 car accidents annually involving drowsy drivers.
- 12,151: 12,151 people were killed in 2022 because of speeding, another form of distracted driving.
- 29%: 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2022 were because of speeding.
Car Accidents By Day And Time
Car accident risks increase based on the day of the week and the time of day.
- 7,000: Saturdays are the most dangerous day of the week for any teenage driver. In 2022 there were over 7,000 car accidents involving teenage drivers on Saturdays.
- 8pm-Midnight: The riskiest time of day for teenage drivers is between 8:00 p.m. and midnight both Saturdays and Sundays.
- Midnight-6am: Between midnight and 6:00 p.m. or when the majority of drowsy driving car accidents take place because of a dip in the natural circadian rhythm.
- 70%: 70% of car accidents involving older drivers, 65 and up take place during the week, in the middle of the day.
Car Accidents By Age
The majority of car accidents involve young drivers, particularly teenage drivers but there’s also an uptick in the older population, those 65 years and older.
- 19%: People 65 and older represent 19% of all car accident fatalities.
- 6%: There was a 6% increase in car accident fatalities from 2021 until 2022 for those who were 65 or older.
- 22%: The population 65 and older represent 22% of all licensed drivers in the U.S.
- 7,971: 7,971 people over the age of 65 were killed in car accidents in 2022.
Teen drivers are those between the ages of 15 and 20. They have the highest rates of car accidents and car accident fatalities despite representing around 5% of all licensed drivers across the U.S.
- 2x: Teenage drivers are twice as likely to be involved in a fatal car accident compared to adult drivers.
- 30%: Between 2013 and 2022 there was a 30% increase in teen driving fatalities for those between 15 and 18.
Car Accidents By Gender
Females have a lower fatality rate compared to males across all groups. men are more likely to drive farther, not wear a seatbelt, speed, or drive under the influence which leads to a higher rate of car accidents and fatalities for males versus females.
- 3x: Men are nearly three times as likely to be involved in a car accident compared to women.
- 30,669: In 2022 30,669 male fatalities took place.
- 11,737: in 2022 11,737 female fatalities took place.
Car Accidents By Vehicle Type
When looking at motor vehicle crash deaths by vehicle type, there are some vehicles that are more heavily involved in accidents than others.
- 38%: In Alabama regular vehicles represented 38% of all car accidents with another 33% involving pickup trucks and SUVs.
- 40%: In Mississippi, North Carolina, and Indiana, regular cars represent 40% of all car accidents followed by pickup trucks and SUVs.
- 33%: On average 33% of all car accidents involved a regular vehicle.
- 27%: On average 27% of all car accidents involve a pickup truck or SUV.
- 15%: On average 15% of all car accidents involve a motorcycle.
- 18%: On average 18% of all car accidents involve pedestrians.
- 3%: On average 3% of all car accidents involve a bicyclist.
- 2%: On average 2% of all car accidents involve a large truck or semi truck.
While car accidents involving large trucks such as semi trucks can have a higher rate of fatality, they represent the lowest percentage of car accidents across the United States by vehicle type. Large trucks average 2% of all car accidents by state. There are some exceptions including Wyoming where large trucks represent 9% of all car accidents, Vermont where they represent 7%, Nebraska and Iowa where they represent 5%.
Are certain vehicles more likely to get into car accidents than others?
2022 Hyundai Tucson
According to special crash investigations, the 2022 Hyundai Tucson, which was constructed with special lane detection and other automated systems has failed in that regard with things like imminent crash breaking, lane departure warnings, lane follow assist, and lane keeping assist failing in recorded cases of car accidents.
2022 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
Other special crash investigations have focused on the 2022 Chevrolet TrailBlazer. One such investigation found that there was a high risk of rollover in this particular vehicle if a driver experienced a loss of control despite all other features and crash avoidance technologies like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warnings, lane keep assist, and forward Collision alerts.
Seatbelt Use
Only 27 states had seatbelt use at rates 90% or higher in 2023, indicating that more than half of the United States fails to use seat belts as required. This low rate of seat belt use is juxtaposed by the fact that 71% of the United States have laws that enforce seat belt use.
- 91.9%: Across the nation seat belt use was at 91.9% in 2023 When taking into account the United States and all of its territories.
- 3.7%: Alaska had the highest increase in seat belt usage from 2022 until 2023 with an increase of 3.7%.
- 3.6%: Wyoming had an increase in seat belt use from 2022 until 2023 of 3.6%. representing the second largest positive change across the United States.
- 3.4%: Massachusetts had an increase in seat belt use from 2022 until 2023 of 3.4% representing the third highest change across the United States.
- -11.8%: The state of Montana had the worst decrease in seat belt use, with a decrease of 11.8% from 2022 until 2023.
There are several states that have remained stable year to year. Below are the top ten states with the lowest change in seat belt use, signaling steady seat belt use from year to year since 2016:
- New Jersey: 0.0%
- Texas: 0.2%
- Indiana: 0.2%
- Nevada: 0.4%
- Oregon: 0.5%
- West Virginia: 0.5%
- Utah: 0.6%
- Arkansas: 0.6%
- Alabama: 0.7%
- Arizona: 0.8%
The table below indicates the average seat belt use by state from 2021 through 2023:
| State | Total Seat Belt Use 2021 | Total Seat Belt Use 2022 | Total Seat Belt Use 2023 |
| Alabama | 91.3% | 92.7% | 93.4% |
| Alaska | 91.7% | 91.5% | 95.2% |
| Arizona | 88.8% | 87.0% | 87.8% |
| Arkansas | 84.2% | 79.1% | 79.7% |
| California | 97.2% | 95.3% | 96.2% |
| Colorado | 86.6% | 87.0% | 88.6% |
| Connecticut | 91.5% | 92.1% 9 | 93.5% |
| Delaware | 92.4% | 90.4% | 93.9% |
| Florida | 90.1% | 88.3% | 89.4% |
| Georgia | 95.9% | 95.1% | 94.6% |
| Hawai’i | 94.3% | 95.9% | 98.4% |
| Idaho | 82.9% | 87.6% | 87.5% |
| Illinois | 82.9% | 87.6% | 87.5% |
| Indiana | 82.9% | 87.6% | 87.5% |
| Iowa | 92.7% | 95.9% | 96.9% |
| Kansas | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Kentucky | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Louisiana | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Maine | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Maryland | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Massachusetts | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Michigan | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Minnesota | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Mississippi | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Missouri | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Montana | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Nebraska | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| Nevada | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| New Hampshire | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| New Jersey | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| New Mexico | 85.9% | 87.2% | 85.3% |
| New York | 93.2% | 91.9% | 94.1% |
| North Carolina | 89.6% | 90.9% | 92.2% |
| North Dakota | 89.6% | 90.9% | 92.2% |
| Ohio | 89.6% | 90.9% | 92.2% |
| Oklahoma | 89.6% | 90.9% | 92.2% |
| Oregon | 94.9% | 96.5% | 97.0% |
| Pennsylvania | 94.9% | 96.5% | 97.0% |
| Rhode Island | 94.9% | 96.5% | 97.0% |
| South Carolina | 94.9% | 96.5% | 97.0% |
| South Dakota | 94.9% | 96.5% | 97.0% |
| Tennessee | 94.9% | 96.5% | 97.0% |
| Texas | 94.9% | 96.5% | 97.0% |
| Utah | 88.2% | 91.8% | 92.4% |
| Vermont | 89.2% | 90.4% | 88.9% |
| Virginia | 81.7% | 75.6% | 73.2% |
| Washington | 94.2% | 93.9% | 93.3% |
| West Virginia | 88.1% | 92.5% | 93.0% |
| Wisconsin | 88.1% | 87.5% | 92.0% |
| Wyoming | 80.2% | 78.3% | 81.9% |
Rural vs Urban
Across the United States 41% of car accidents happen in a rural area. In fact, the states with the highest percentage of car accidents on rural roads average 84% of all accidents within that state.
- 85%: 85% of all car accident deaths in Wyoming take place on rural roads.
- 84%: 84% of all car accident deaths in Maine, Vermont, and North Dakota take place on rural roads.
- 100%: 100% of all car accidents in Washington DC take place in urban areas.
Below are the states with the lowest percentage of rural car accident deaths:
- Maryland: 5%
- Massachusetts: 7%
- New Jersey: 10%
- Hawai’i: 12%
- Connecticut: 12%
Below are the states with the lowest percentage of urban car accident deaths:
- Washington D.C.: 100%
- Maryland: 93%
- Massachusetts: 92%
- New Jersey: 89%
- Connecticut: 87%
Weather Related Accidents
Bad weather is a significant factor in many accidents. For example, while 29% of all car accidents in 2022 were related to speeding, of those a significant percentage included speeding because of bad weather.
When drivers are unfamiliar with the weather they may be more likely to speed or engage in dangerous driving habits which can increase the risk of accidents.
- 121,156: In 2021 there were 121,156 car accidents that occurred when there were sleet or snow conditions on the road.
- 12 inches: It only takes 12 inches of water to move a car off the road.
- 2 feet: It only takes two feet of Rushing Water to carry away a truck or SUV during a flood.
