Owning a car has become a staple of 21st century life. We use them for driving to work, picking up the kids from school, or just taking a long evening walk down the road.
However, when driving, you need to be extremely careful. Poor driving conditions or even a slight distraction can lead to devastating accidents.
To highlight a serious issue, we've put together a collection of car accident statistics to show the rate of road deaths and injuries and the most common reasons for these incidents.
Most Relevant Car Crash Statistics (Editor's Pick)
- Six million car accidents occur annually in the United States.
- 93% of road traffic deaths worldwide occur in low- and middle-income countries
- In the United States, more than 38,000 people die in car accidents each year.
- Nearly half of drivers in fatal crashes were not wearing seatbelts
- About 8% of high school students revealed that they drove after consuming alcohol
- Nearly half of teens talk on the phone while driving
- Drunk driving is responsible for more than 10,100 deaths in the US.
- More than 45% of motor vehicle fatalities occur on rural roads in the US.
Car accident statistics around the world
1. 1.35 million people die in car accidents every year.
(ASIRT)
Statistics on deaths from car accidents per year around the world show that the majority of people who die in these incidents are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
Between 20 and 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries, often resulting in permanent disability.
2. Car accidents are the 9th leading cause of death.
(Or Wandering Motorhome)
Car accident statistics reveal that car accidents account for 2.2% of all deaths worldwide. Car accidents are the second leading cause of death among young drivers ages 5 to 14.
3. One person dies in a traffic accident every 24 seconds.
(ASIRT)
Traffic crash data and statistics show that pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists account for 54% of all fatalities. Respectively, they represent 23%, 28% and 3% of these occurrences.
4. Nearly 400,000 people under the age of 25 die in car accidents each year.
(Or Wandering Motorhome)
Car accidents are the leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds. Automobile accident death rate data estimate that an average of 1,000 people per day lose their lives on the road.
5. About 93% of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
(OMS)
The vast majority of deaths caused by road crashes occur in low-income countries, according to worldwide road crash statistics.
These countries account for nearly 60% of the world's vehicles and often have poor infrastructure. The quality of roads, for example, is one of the reasons for these mortality rates.
6. Damage caused by car accidents costs countries an average of 3% of their GDP.
(OMS)
Fatal and non-fatal automobile accidents each year cost billions of dollars in property damage, medical care for the injured, lost productivity and other expenses.
Car accident statistics in the United States
7. More than 38,000 people die in car accidents each year in the United States.
(ASIRT)
Looking further into these grim car accident statistics, another 4.4 million people suffered injuries that required medical attention.
Of all high-income countries, the US has an unfortunate lead in car deaths per year. It has nearly 50% more incidents than Japan, Australia, Canada and most European countries.
8. There are six million car accidents each year.
(Or Wandering Motorhome)
While there are thousands of deaths from motor vehicle accidents each year, millions end up in non-fatal motor vehicle accidents, approximately 16,438 accidents per day. It is estimated that 22,471 of the annual accidents cause only material damage.
9. 16,650 people died in car accidents in 2020.
(Car and Driver)
Based on 2020 road traffic deaths data, the number dropped from 16,988 in 2019 to 16,650 in 2020, down 2%.
10. The number of deaths from traffic accidents decreased by 16% in the first half of 2020.
(ASIRT)
According to US auto fatalities per year statistics, the lockdown caused a significant decrease in the fatality rate during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2019.
The fall continued in the second half of the year, although not as sharply. The second quarter of 2020 shows a drop of 3.3%.
11. The US traffic fatality rate is 12.4 per 100,000 citizens.
(ASIRT, Naijauto)
Considering population size, the death rate from automobile accidents in the US is 12.4 per 100,000 citizens.
According to the latest statistics, the US has more than 17,175,893 cars registered, second only to China, which ranks first. This is one of the reasons that contribute to the high statistics of traffic accidents.
12. Mississippi has the highest number of car accident deaths per 100,000 people.
(World Population Review)
This translates to 22.2 deaths per 100,000 people. In general, the rate across states ranges from 4.4 to 22.2. South Carolina is just behind Mississippi with 20.4 deaths per 100,000. With 19.5 deaths per 100,000 population, Alabama ranks third on this list.
At the other end of the spectrum is the District of Columbia, with just 4.4 deaths per 100,000. So, based on state auto accident statistics, this is the state with the lowest number of auto accident deaths per 100,000 people.
13. 45% of all motor vehicle fatalities occur in rural areas of the country.
(IIHS-HLDI)
Car fatality statistics indicate that most fatal vehicle accidents occur in rural areas. Vermont has the highest concentration of agricultural accident fatalities: 89% of all accidents.
On the other hand, Rhode Island (4%), Massachusetts (7%) and New Jersey (11%) are the states with the fewest deaths from traffic accidents on rural roads.
Car accident causes statistics
14. Drunk driving causes 30% of car accidents in the United States.
(test ride)
About 30% of traffic accidents involve drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more, as highlighted by traffic accident statistics.
Every day, around 29 people die fromdrunk driving accidents, that is, one every 50 minutes. For comparison, over 30% of drivers are killed by speeding, while 33% are killed by reckless driving.
15. Drunk driving accidents cause more than 10,100 deaths each year in the United States.
(NHTSA)
More specifically, the number of drunk driving deaths per year is 10,142. That translates to someone being killed in a drunken car accident every 52 minutes. Remember that even a small amount of alcohol can have an immediate impact on a person.
On average, a DUI can cost around $10,000 in fines, court costs, attorney fees, higher insurance rates, time lost from work, car towing, etc.
16. Distracted driving causes 14% of all accidents.
(NHTSA)
Car accident statistics reveal that a distracted driver caused eight percent of all fatalities and 15 percent of those resulting in injuries.
Drivers aged 15 to 18 have the highest rate of distracted fatalities.
17. Approximately 481,000 drivers use their phones while driving.
(Allianz)
Driver accident statistics estimate that texting while driving is six times more dangerous than getting drunk behind the wheel.
18. Drivers ran over two million animals from July 2020 to June 2021.
(State Farm)
Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 7.2%. Also, the most dangerous months for such collisions are October, November and December.
As for the states where most of these animal collisions occur, they are Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, California and North Carolina.
19. About 21% of all vehicle collisions occur due to adverse weather conditions.
(FHWA)
Weather-related traffic accident statistics show around 5,376 deaths and over 418,000 injuries per year.
Bad weather is one of the main causes of car accidents, statistics show. 70% of cases occur on wet roads and 46% during rain.
In comparison, 22% of all non-fatal vehicle accidents occur on slippery roads, 18% occur in sleet and snow, 16% on muddy roads, and 13% on icy pavement. Only 3% is due to fog.
20. An average of 158 people die in fatal car accidents every Saturday.
(Ed drivers)
Of all the days to drive, Saturday turns out to be the most dangerous. Statistics on car accident deaths per year in the US indicate that Saturday is twice as fatal as any other day of the workweek.
Likewise, the time interval between 17:00 and 17:00. m. and 7 p.m. is the most dangerous, while August is the most dangerous month to be on the road.
Death rate from traffic accidents and safety measures
21. 47% of drivers in fatal accidents were not wearing a seat belt.
(NHTSA)
According to US auto accident statistics, seat belt use saved 14,955 lives in one year. In 2020, the seat belt usage rate exceeded 90%.
According to the latest research, wearing a seat belt in an accident reduces your chances of dying by 45%.
22. About 97% of front seat passengers in Hawaii wore seat belts in 2019.
(IIHS-HLDI)
Traffic accident statistics show us a promising trend among American drivers: more than 90% of them were wearing seatbelts.
The state with the highest observed seat belt use was Hawaii. On the other side of the coin, the lowest rate of 71% was registered in New Hampshire.
23. 53% of traffic fatalities occurred in single-vehicle collisions in 2019.
(IIHS-HLDI)
Single vehicle accident statistics by state show that Maine had the highest percentage of fatalities in 2019: 68%.
However, Nebraska had the highest number of fatalities from multi-vehicle accidents that year: 57%.
24. About 58% of fatal car crashes reported by police involved only a single vehicle.
(test ride)
More than half of reported road fatality incidents involved a car. On the other hand, statistics on traffic accidents reveal that 63% of motorcyclist deaths occur in accidents involving multiple vehicles.
25. About 61% of all fatal accidents involved passenger cars or light trucks.
(IIHS-HLDI)
Car accident statistics show that 34% of cases in 2019 involved a passenger car and 27% involved a van such as an SUV or van.
By comparison, large trucks accounted for 2% of vehicles in fatal crashes in 2019.
26. Alaska had the highest fatal accident rate for SUVs and trucks at 48% in 2019.
(IIHS-HLDI)
Alaska's auto accident rate emphasizes a large number of fatalities in crashes involving SUVs and pickup trucks. By comparison, New Jersey had the lowest: 12%.
Traffic Accident Statistics for Children and Adolescents
27. More than 1,600 children under the age of 15 die in car accidents each year.
(Or Wandering Motorhome)
Car accident statistics also show that nearly 8,000 people have died in car accidents involving drivers between the ages of 16 and 20.
28. 8.2% of high school students admitted to driving one or more times under the influence of alcohol.
(Edgar Snyder and associates)
Accident statistics with teenagers show that more than 5.8% of 16- and 17-year-olds admitted to drinking and driving. The same applies to 15.1% of young people aged 18 to 20 and 13.5% of 12th grade students.
29. 39% of high school students occasionally email or text while driving.
(CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION)
According to traffic accident statistics involving high school students, 44% of white students are often distracted by their phones while driving, compared to 30% of blacks and 35% of Hispanics.
30. More than half of teens talk on the phone while driving.
(Edgar Snyder and associates)
According to teen car accident statistics, 56% of teens talk on the phone and 13% send text messages while driving.
Additionally, 48% of 12- to 17-year-olds said they were in a car while the driver was texting.
31. About 28% of young drivers who died in car accidents had a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.08 or higher.
(Edgar Snyder and associates)
According to statistics on traffic accidents among teenagers, a quarter of deaths involve underage drinking.
33% of young drivers aged 15 to 20 who died in accidents had a BAC of 0.1 or greater. Car accident statistics by age and sex show that 27% of male high school students and 15% of female high school students involved in fatal accidents consumed alcohol.
Car accident data: Conclusion
A single moment of distraction or loss of control on the road is enough to create a truly dangerous situation. Sadly, this happens to thousands of people around the world and causes countless injuries and deaths every day.
We've compiled these auto accident statistics to show you the dangers of reckless driving and the precautions to take before getting behind the wheel.
Sadly, the US leads among high-income countries in deaths from road traffic crashes, but awareness and prevention policies are in place to help keep the numbers down.
people also ask
What are the chances of having a car accident?
The estimated odds of being part of a car accident in the US are about 1 in 103. For comparison, the odds of dying from a bad fall are 1 in 111 and 1 in 98 due to an opioid overdose.
Globally, car accidents are the ninth most common cause of death.
What percentage of car accidents are fatal?
Statistics on fatal car accidents show that 12.4 per 100,000 are fatal each year in the US.
Distraction, alcohol consumption and weather conditions are among the main reasons for deadly road incidents.
How many people die in car accidents?
Globally, 1.35 million people die in car accidents each year, which means one person every 24 seconds.
Furthermore, between 20 and 50 million people are injured in traffic accidents.
In the United States, more than 38,000 people die each year in car accidents on the highways, most of them pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.
What is the number 1 cause of death in car accidents?
Distracted drivers are the leading cause of car accidents in the United States. Inattention behind the wheel causes between 14% of all accidents and 8% of deaths.
Among the most common distractions are talking on the phone, eating, texting, or slowing down to see something better.
What is the most common reason for car accidents?
According to car accident statistics, the most common causes of fatal accidents are alcohol consumption, speeding and reckless driving. Drunk driving kills a person 28 times a day in the United States.
On the other hand, high-speed driving causes 30% of traffic deaths and 33% of distractions.
Sources:
- Allianz
- ASIRT
- car and driver
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- DriversEd
- test ride
- Edgar Snyder and Associates
- FHWA
- youHS-HLDI
- nayauto
- NHTSA
- NHTSA
- NHTSA
- state farm
- The wandering motor home
- OMS
- World Population Review
FAQs
What age group has the highest rate of car accidents? ›
Who is Most at Risk? The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16–19 than among any other age group. Teen drivers in this age group have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers ages 20 and older per mile driven.
What state has the most car accidents 2022? ›1. South Carolina. With a 12% at-fault accident rate, South Carolina drivers cause the most accidents in the country in 2022. Unlike Massachusetts, however, the Palmetto State also has the highest traffic fatality rate in the nation.
Who is statistically more likely to get in a car accident? ›Who Gets Into More Car Accidents? Statistics show that males get into more accidents than women every year. Men cause about 6.1 million accidents per year and women cause 4.4 million accidents per year, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.
What is the #1 factor in automobile crashes? ›Undoubtedly, distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents. A distracted driver does not have their complete attention on the road, and they may be paying closer attention to a mobile device, passengers, or even a cheeseburger.
Does age matter in a car accident? ›Believe it or not, a person's age can affect the value of their personal injury claim. And while it may sound unfair, or seem like an example of “ageism,” the fact is that it remains one of many factors the insurance company will consider when determining the value of your case.
What are the three main factors which highly influence accidents? ›Driver inattention, distractions, and drunk and drugged driving are all major contributing factors to traffic accidents. Drivers have a duty to drive carefully and avoid causing foreseeable injuries to other motorists.
What is the safest state to drive in? ›- Washington, D.C.: 36 deaths out of 34 accidents.
- Alaska: 53 deaths out of 64 accidents.
- Vermont: 62 deaths out of 58 accidents.
- Rhode Island: 67 deaths out of 66 accidents.
- Hawaii: 85 deaths out of 81 accidents.
Which U.S. City Has the Most Car Accidents? Baltimore, Maryland, ranks as the city with the most automobile accidents in the US. Drivers in Baltimore average one collision every 4.19 years, and there are 38.58 hard-breaking occurrences per 1,000 miles compared to the national average.
Which age group is most affected by road accidents and injuries? ›Young male drivers account for 80% of young driver fatalities. Young male drivers are four times more likely to be seriously injured or killed on the road than drivers aged 25 or over.
What age groups are accidents the leading cause of death? ›
Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans aged 1-44 years old. Unintentional injuries include opioid overdoses (unintentional poisoning), motor vehicle crashes, and unintentional falls.