Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System data, 39,254 people died in US car accidents in 2024. Over 2020–2024, 205,237 people were killed in 189,208 fatal crashes — 12.3 deaths per 100,000 residents per year. A drinking driver was involved in 25.9% of fatal crashes and speeding in 28.2%.
US Traffic Deaths (2024)
Deaths per 100K per Year
Alcohol-Involved Share
US Traffic Deaths by Year
Most Dangerous US Cities to Drive In
Highest Road Danger Scores among 2,153 ranked cities. See the full ranking →
| # | City | Danger Score | Deaths per 100K/yr | Deaths 2020–2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Decatur, GA | 100/100 | 71.3 | 86 |
| 2 | Hempstead Village, NY | 100/100 | 61.0 | 177 |
| 3 | Harvey, IL | 100/100 | 55.4 | 53 |
| 4 | Wasilla, AK | 100/100 | 54.7 | 28 |
| 5 | Covington, GA | 100/100 | 51.3 | 38 |
| 6 | Panama City Beach, FL | 100/100 | 50.4 | 32 |
| 7 | Cedartown, GA | 100/100 | 48.4 | 25 |
| 8 | Brunswick, GA | 100/100 | 43.7 | 32 |
| 9 | Bridgeton, MO | 100/100 | 42.8 | 24 |
| 10 | Conyers, GA | 100/100 | 41.4 | 42 |
| 11 | Tarrytown Village, NY | 100/100 | 41.2 | 24 |
| 12 | Cartersville, GA | 99/100 | 40.7 | 52 |
| 13 | Show Low, AZ | 99/100 | 40.5 | 25 |
| 14 | Orange, TX | 99/100 | 38.8 | 37 |
| 15 | Moultrie, GA | 99/100 | 38.5 | 28 |
Safest US Cities to Drive In (25K+ residents)
Car Accidents by State
Traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year, 2020–2024 (most dangerous first). Also see worst drivers by state.
| # | State | Deaths per 100K/yr | Deaths 2020–2024 | Alcohol % | Speeding % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 25.2 | 3,703 | 17.7% | 17.6% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 21.4 | 622 | 30.9% | 40.2% |
| 3 | Arkansas | 20.9 | 3,179 | 27.1% | 22.4% |
| 4 | New Mexico | 20.8 | 2,196 | 24.7% | 35.8% |
| 5 | South Carolina | 20.6 | 5,443 | 32.9% | 39.6% |
| 6 | Montana | 19.3 | 1,081 | 43.9% | 37.1% |
| 7 | Alabama | 19.1 | 4,841 | 24.9% | 26.7% |
| 8 | Louisiana | 18.6 | 4,268 | 30.2% | 25.0% |
| 9 | Tennessee | 18.1 | 6,377 | 24.8% | 16.8% |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 17.3 | 3,481 | 26.9% | 28.1% |
| 11 | Kentucky | 17.1 | 3,851 | 25.7% | 16.3% |
| 12 | Arizona | 16.6 | 6,102 | 20.1% | 33.1% |
| 13 | Missouri | 16.2 | 5,006 | 28.3% | 36.9% |
| 14 | South Dakota | 15.7 | 712 | 34.1% | 26.0% |
| 15 | Florida | 15.4 | 17,131 | 19.5% | 10.0% |
| 16 | Georgia | 15.2 | 8,276 | 19.4% | 21.8% |
| 17 | North Carolina | 15.1 | 8,058 | 23.5% | 33.3% |
| 18 | West Virginia | 15.0 | 1,331 | 29.0% | 26.0% |
| 19 | Texas | 14.1 | 21,238 | 25.3% | 35.0% |
| 20 | Kansas | 13.5 | 1,985 | 25.3% | 22.0% |
| 21 | Oregon | 13.4 | 2,833 | 30.3% | 29.9% |
| 22 | Indiana | 13.3 | 4,541 | 20.0% | 27.1% |
| 23 | Delaware | 13.3 | 675 | 24.2% | 30.1% |
| 24 | North Dakota | 12.7 | 495 | 36.1% | 24.7% |
| 25 | Idaho | 12.5 | 1,215 | 32.0% | 23.4% |
| 26 | Nevada | 12.3 | 1,958 | 29.1% | 29.6% |
| 27 | Nebraska | 12.0 | 1,176 | 32.8% | 19.5% |
| 28 | Colorado | 11.9 | 3,486 | 35.0% | 35.2% |
| 29 | Maine | 11.7 | 811 | 38.1% | 24.6% |
| 30 | Iowa | 11.1 | 1,770 | 24.5% | 20.6% |
| 31 | Michigan | 11.0 | 5,541 | 27.8% | 26.3% |
| 32 | California | 10.8 | 21,077 | 27.5% | 31.5% |
| 33 | Virginia | 10.7 | 4,660 | 29.2% | 31.5% |
| 34 | Ohio | 10.6 | 6,257 | 31.5% | 22.1% |
| 35 | Vermont | 10.5 | 340 | 35.1% | 33.9% |
| 36 | Wisconsin | 10.2 | 3,017 | 31.9% | 31.4% |
| 37 | Illinois | 9.9 | 6,213 | 24.2% | 34.4% |
| 38 | Alaska | 9.5 | 347 | 28.4% | 37.7% |
| 39 | Maryland | 9.4 | 2,901 | 28.0% | 27.1% |
| 40 | Washington | 9.1 | 3,530 | 30.2% | 32.1% |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | 9.1 | 5,876 | 24.7% | 39.4% |
| 42 | New Hampshire | 9.0 | 628 | 35.0% | 31.2% |
| 43 | Utah | 8.8 | 1,484 | 25.2% | 30.8% |
| 44 | Connecticut | 8.8 | 1,586 | 34.4% | 37.4% |
| 45 | Minnesota | 7.7 | 2,205 | 30.5% | 29.9% |
| 46 | New Jersey | 7.0 | 3,242 | 22.6% | 25.4% |
| 47 | District of Columbia | 6.0 | 200 | 24.1% | 39.6% |
| 48 | New York | 5.7 | 5,601 | 20.4% | 33.2% |
| 49 | Rhode Island | 5.6 | 305 | 37.2% | 39.9% |
| 50 | Massachusetts | 5.4 | 1,896 | 29.5% | 30.6% |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people die in car accidents in the US each year?
According to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 39,254 people died in US car accidents in 2024. Across 2020–2024, 205,237 people were killed in 189,208 fatal crashes — an average of about 41,047 deaths per year, or 12.3 per 100,000 residents.
What percentage of fatal car accidents involve alcohol?
25.9% of US fatal crashes in 2020–2024 involved a drinking driver, per NHTSA FARS. Speeding was involved in 28.2%, and 49.8% happened in dark conditions.
What is the Road Danger Score?
The Road Danger Score (1–100) is a percentile computed by crimebycity.com from NHTSA FARS data: a city's 5-year traffic deaths per 100,000 residents ranked against all US cities with sufficient data. A score of N means a higher traffic-fatality rate than about N% of ranked cities.
Which US city is the most dangerous to drive in?
Among ranked US cities, Decatur, GA has the highest Road Danger Score at 71.3 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year (2020–2024).