The cost of auto insurance can be affected by the vehicle’s cost and crashworthiness (the degree to which it can protect occupants from the effects of an accident) and by the driver’s safety habits. Insurers support raising awareness about safe driving practices, such as seatbelt usage and avoiding driving while under the influence of alcohol. These initiatives reinforce public safety and help to reduce costs for policyholders and insurers.
Traffic Deaths, 2012-2021
| Year | Fatalities | Annual percent change |
Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled |
Fatality rate per 100,000 registered vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 33,782 | 4.0% | 1.14 | 12.72 |
| 2013 | 32,893 | -2.6 | 1.10 | 12.21 |
| 2014 | 32,744 | -0.5 | 1.08 | 11.92 |
| 2015 | 35,484 | 8.4 | 1.15 | 12.61 |
| 2016 | 37,806 | 6.5 | 1.19 | 13.13 |
| 2017 | 37,473 | -0.9 | 1.17 | 12.91 |
| 2018 | 36,835 | -1.7 | 1.14 | 12.40 |
| 2019 | 36,355 | -1.3 | 1.11 | 12.15 |
| 2020 | 38,824 | 6.8 | 1.34 | 13.04 |
| 2021 | 42,915 | 10.5 | 1.33 | NA |
NA=Data not available.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Motor Vehicle Traffic Deaths By State, 2019-2020
| Number of deaths | Number of deaths | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | 2019 | 2020 | Percent change |
State | 2019 | 2020 | Percent change |
| Alabama | 930 | 934 | 0% | Montana | 184 | 213 | 16% |
| Alaska | 67 | 64 | -4 | Nebraska | 248 | 233 | -6 |
| Arizona | 979 | 1,054 | 8 | Nevada | 304 | 317 | 4 |
| Arkansas | 511 | 638 | 25 | New Hampshire | 101 | 104 | 3 |
| California | 3,719 | 3,847 | 3 | New Jersey | 558 | 584 | 5 |
| Colorado | 597 | 622 | 4 | New Mexico | 425 | 398 | -6 |
| Connecticut | 249 | 295 | 18 | New York | 934 | 1,046 | 12 |
| Delaware | 132 | 116 | -12 | North Carolina | 1,457 | 1,538 | 6 |
| D.C. | 23 | 36 | 57 | North Dakota | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Florida | 3,185 | 3,331 | 5 | Ohio | 1,153 | 1,230 | 7 |
| Georgia | 1,492 | 1,664 | 12 | Oklahoma | 640 | 652 | 2 |
| Hawaii | 108 | 85 | -21 | Oregon | 493 | 508 | 3 |
| Idaho | 224 | 214 | -4 | Pennsylvania | 1,059 | 1,129 | 7 |
| Illinois | 1,009 | 1,194 | 18 | Rhode Island | 57 | 67 | 18 |
| Indiana | 810 | 897 | 11 | South Carolina | 1,006 | 1,064 | 6 |
| Iowa | 336 | 337 | 0 | South Dakota | 102 | 141 | 38 |
| Kansas | 410 | 426 | 4 | Tennessee | 1,136 | 1,217 | 7 |
| Kentucky | 732 | 780 | 7 | Texas | 3,619 | 3,874 | 7 |
| Louisiana | 727 | 828 | 14 | Utah | 248 | 276 | 11 |
| Maine | 157 | 164 | 4 | Vermont | 47 | 62 | 32 |
| Maryland | 535 | 567 | 6 | Virginia | 831 | 850 | 2 |
| Massachusetts | 336 | 343 | 2 | Washington | 538 | 560 | 4 |
| Michigan | 986 | 1,084 | 10 | West Virginia | 260 | 267 | 3 |
| Minnesota | 364 | 394 | 8 | Wisconsin | 567 | 614 | 8 |
| Mississippi | 642 | 752 | 17 | Wyoming | 147 | 127 | -14 |
| Missouri | 881 | 987 | 12 | United States | 36,355 | 38,824 | 7.0 |
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Drivers In Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes By Age, 2020
| Licensed drivers | Drivers in fatal crashes |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age group | Number | Percent of total drivers |
Number | Involvement rate (1) |
| 16 to 20 | 11,526,490 | 5.1% | 4,440 | 38.52 |
| 21 to 24 | 14,041,261 | 6.2 | 4,884 | 34.78 |
| 25 to 34 | 39,900,499 | 17.6 | 11,933 | 29.91 |
| 35 to 44 | 38,208,444 | 16.6 | 8,896 | 23.28 |
| 45 to 54 | 37,372,539 | 16.7 | 7,731 | 20.69 |
| 55 to 64 | 39,417,228 | 17.4 | 7,294 | 18.5 |
| 65 to 74 | 29,871,852 | 12.7 | 4,116 | 13.78 |
| Over 74 | 17,795,854 | 7.6 | 2,810 | 15.79 |
| Total | 228,195,802 | 100.0% | 53,890 (2) | 23.62 |
(1) Per 100,000 licensed drivers in each age group.
(2) Includes drivers under the age of 16 and of unknown age.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Federal Highway Administration.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Per 100,000 Persons By Age, 2020
Driving Behaviors Reported For Drivers And Motorcycle Operators Involved In Fatal Crashes, 2020
| Behavior | Number (1) | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted limit or racing | 10,295 | 19.1% |
| Under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication | 6,246 | 11.6 |
| Operating vehicle in a careless manner | 3,958 | 7.3 |
| Failure to yield right of way | 3,663 | 6.8 |
| Failure to keep in proper lane | 3,337 | 6.2 |
| Distracted (phone, talking, eating, object, etc.) | 2,968 | 5.5 |
| Operating vehicle in erratic, reckless or negligent manner | 2,356 | 4.4 |
| Failure to obey traffic signs, signals, or officer | 2,250 | 4.2 |
| Overcorrecting/oversteering | 1,744 | 3.2 |
| Vision obscured (rain, snow, glare, lights, building, trees, etc.) | 1,533 | 2.8 |
| Drowsy, asleep, fatigued, ill, or blacked out | 1,165 | 2.2 |
| Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface, etc. | 1,138 | 2.1 |
| Driving wrong way on one-way traffic or wrong side of road | 1,060 | 2 |
| Making improper turn | 368 | 0.7 |
| Other factors | 5,921 | 11 |
| None reported | 8,659 | 16.1 |
| Unknown | 16,885 | 31.3 |
| Total drivers (2) | 53,890 | 100.0% |
(1) Number of drivers and motorcycle operators.
(2) The sum of the numbers and percentages is greater than total drivers as more than one factor may be present for the same driver.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fatal Crashes By First Harmful Event, Type Of Collision, 2020
| Type of collision | Number | Percent of total fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with moving motor vehicle | ||
| Angle | 6,432 | 18% |
| Rear end | 2,428 | 6.8 |
| Sideswipe | 950 | 2.7 |
| Head on | 3,631 | 10.2 |
| Other/unknown | 181 | 0.5 |
| Total | 13,622 | 38.1% |
| Collision with fixed object | ||
| Pole/post | 1,595 | 4.5% |
| Culvert/curb/ditch | 2,741 | 7.7 |
| Shrubbery/tree | 2,586 | 7.2 |
| Guard rail | 932 | 2.6 |
| Embankment | 906 | 2.5 |
| Bridge | 181 | 0.5 |
| Other/unknown | 2,008 | 5.6 |
| Total | 10,949 | 30.6% |
| Collision with object, not fixed | ||
| Parked motor vehicle | 459 | 1.3 |
| Animal | 194 | 0.5 |
| Pedestrian | 5,982 | 16.7 |
| Pedalcyclist | 923 | 2.6 |
| Train | 79 | 0.2 |
| Other/unknown | 430 | 1.2 |
| Total | 8,067 | 22.6% |
| Noncollision | ||
| Rollover | 2,694 | 7.5 |
| Other/unknown | 362 | 1 |
| Total | 3,056 | 8.5% |
| Total | 35,766 (1) | 100.0% |
(1) Includes 72 fatal crashes with unknown first harmful events.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Holiday Driving, 2017-2021 (1)
| Holiday period (1) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Memorial Day | Independence Day | Labor Day | Thanksgiving Day | Christmas Day | |||||||
| Year | Deaths | Percent alcohol- impaired (2) |
Deaths | Percent alcohol- impaired (2) |
Deaths | Percent alcohol- impaired (2) |
Deaths | Percent alcohol- impaired (2) |
Deaths | Percent alcohol- impaired (2) |
Deaths | Percent alcohol- impaired (2) |
| 2017 | 330 | 37% | 345 | 37% | 529 | 38% | 345 | 37% | 470 | 36% | 299 | 38% |
| 2018 | 325 | 39 | 430 | 38 | 175 | 41 | 433 | 36 | 433 | 31 | 425 | 35 |
| 2019 | 428 | 36 | 453 | 37 | 498 | 39 | 438 | 39 | 413 | 29 | 136 | 37 |
| 2020 | 145 | 52 | 396 | 41 | 480 | 41 | 510 | 38 | 504 | 36 | 323 | 39 |
| 2021 | 395 | 40 | 453 | 40 | 517 | 39 | 506 | 41 | 514 | 36 | 376 | 36 |
(1) The length of the holiday period depends on the day of the week on which the holiday falls. Memorial Day and Labor Day are always 3.25 days; Thanksgiving is always 4.25 days; and New Year’s Day, Independence Day, and Christmas are 3.25 days
if the holiday falls on Friday through Monday, 4.25 days if on Tuesday or Thursday, and 1.25 days if on Wednesday. See https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/holidays/holiday-introduction/ for more information.
(2) The highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) among drivers or motorcycle riders involved in the crash was 0.08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher (the legal definition of drunk driving in most states).
Source: National Safety Council based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.
Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths By Month, 2020
| Month | Deaths | Percent of total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2,485 | 7% | 9 |
| February | 2,450 | 7 | 10 |
| March | 2,369 | 7 | 11 |
| April | 2,127 | 6 | 12 |
| May | 2,865 | 8 | 8 |
| June | 3,374 | 9 | 5 |
| July | 3,483 | 10 | 3 |
| August | 3,523 | 10 | 1 |
| September | 3,426 | 10 | 4 |
| October | 3,522 | 10 | 2 |
| November | 3,168 | 9 | 6 |
| December | 2,974 | 8 | 7 |
| Total | 35,766 | 100% |
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fatal Crashes Involving Distracted Drivers, 2022
| Crashes | Drivers | Fatalities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total fatal crashes | 39,221 | 60,048 | 42,514 |
| Distraction-affected fatal crashes | |||
| Number of distraction-affected fatal crashes | 3,047 | 3,124 | 3,308 |
| Percent of total fatal crashes | 8% | 5% | 8% |
| Cellphone in use in distraction-affected fatal crashes | |||
| Number of cellphone distraction-affected fatal crashes | 368 | 375 | 402 |
| Percent of fatal distraction-affected crashes | 12% | 12% | 12% |
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Additional resources
Background
Background on: Distracted driving
