Gitnux/Report 2026

Fatal Car Crash Statistics

Seat belts save about 14,000 lives per year in the U.S.—see the evidence behind fatal car crashes.
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July 22, 2026Updated
Fatal Car Crash Statistics
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

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02Source Research

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Fatal car crashes affect people across the United States and reflect risks shaped by driving behavior, restraint use, and roadway context. This page examines who is most often harmed, including unbelted occupants, men and women, and age groups such as older adults and young drivers, as well as vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. It connects outcomes to underlying factors including speeding, alcohol-impaired and distracted driving, and explains why road deaths are far more severe in low- and middle-income countries.

Key Takeaways

  • 37,099 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022 in the United States
  • 40,990 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2021 in the United States
  • 42,915 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2020 in the United States
  • The WHO estimates road crashes cost most countries between 1% and 3% of their gross domestic product
  • The NHTSA estimates that seat belts save about 14,000 lives per year in the U.S.
  • NHTSA estimates that reducing speeding by 1 mph would prevent about 1,000 deaths each year in the U.S.
  • In 2022, 49% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities occurred in crashes where at least one driver was speeding (NHTSA estimates)
  • In 2022, 23% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities involved alcohol-impaired driving (NHTSA estimates)
  • In 2022, 31% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities involved distracted driving (NHTSA estimates)
  • In 2022, 59% of people killed in crashes were male (NHTSA estimates)
  • In 2022, 41% of people killed in crashes were female (NHTSA estimates)
  • In 2022, 10,718 people aged 55+ were killed in crashes (U.S.)
  • The OECD reports that about 50% of road traffic deaths occur among vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists)
  • The WHO reports that 93% of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
  • WHO estimates that the death rate in low-income countries is about 2–3 times higher than in high-income countries

In 2022, 37,099 Americans died in crashes, and speeding, alcohol, distraction, and unbelted victims still dominate.

01 · Category

Fatality Levels30 stats

01
37,099 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022 in the United Stateshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
02
40,990 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2021 in the United Stateshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
03
42,915 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2020 in the United Stateshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
04
It is estimated that 42,514 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2019 in the United Stateshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
05
The United States reported 4.08 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
06
The United States reported 1.19 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for passenger cars in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
07
The United States reported 1.71 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for light trucks in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
08
The United States reported 0.12 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for motorcycles in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
09
NHTSA estimates 6,721 speeding-related fatalities in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
10
NHTSA estimates 7,236 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
11
NHTSA estimates 7,353 distraction-affected-driving fatalities in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
12
NHTSA estimates 3,308 unbelted occupant fatalities in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
13
NHTSA estimates 38,680 total fatalities in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
14
NHTSA estimates 6,721 speeding-related fatalities in 2019https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
15
NHTSA estimates 10,142 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in 2010https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
16
NHTSA estimates 32,719 unbelted occupant fatalities in 2010https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
17
NHTSA estimates 28,090 unbelted occupant fatalities in 2019https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
18
In 2022, there were 6,023 pedestrian fatalities in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
19
In 2022, there were 2,937 bicyclist fatalities in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
20
In 2022, there were 5,308 motorcyclist fatalities in the United Stateshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
21
In 2022, there were 14,857 occupants of passenger cars killed in crasheshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
22
In 2022, there were 18,647 occupants of light trucks killed in crasheshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
23
In 2022, there were 8,207 occupants of large trucks killed in crasheshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
24
The CDC estimates 1.35% of all U.S. deaths are due to motor vehicle traffic crasheshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
25
The United States recorded 12.4 motor vehicle traffic deaths per 100,000 people in 2022https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
26
The United States recorded 12.0 motor vehicle traffic deaths per 100,000 people in 2021https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
27
The United States recorded 12.9 motor vehicle traffic deaths per 100,000 people in 2020https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm
28
The World Health Organization estimates 1.19 million people die each year from road traffic crashes globallyhttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
29
WHO estimates that road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 yearshttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
30
WHO estimates that 20–50 million people are injured in road traffic crashes each yearhttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
Interpretation

Fatality Levels Interpretation

In the Fatality Levels category, U.S. motor vehicle deaths rose to 42,915 in 2020 and peaked at an estimated 42,514 in 2019, then increased again to 40,990 in 2021 and 37,099 in 2022, while fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled remained high at 4.08 overall in 2022 despite passenger cars reaching 1.19.
report visual · Projection

Fatality Levels Over Time (U.S.)

Motor vehicle crash fatalities peaked in 2020, leading the period shown, while 2022 dropped below the leader—indicating a clear rise from 2018–2020 followed by a decline in 2021–20

37,806 fatalities
Start
-0.31%
CAGR · 6y
37,108 fatalities
Projected
20182024
source-verifiedcrashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov2022

02 · Category

Cost Analysis13 stats

01
The WHO estimates road crashes cost most countries between 1% and 3% of their gross domestic producthttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
02
The NHTSA estimates that seat belts save about 14,000 lives per year in the U.S.https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts
03
NHTSA estimates that reducing speeding by 1 mph would prevent about 1,000 deaths each year in the U.S.https://www.nhtsa.gov/speeding
04
The National Safety Council estimated 1,200,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 (U.S.)https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle-safety/latest-statistics/
05
NHTSA estimates that unbelted drivers account for about 50% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalitieshttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
06
The WHO estimates 3.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost due to road traffic injuries globally (2019 estimate)https://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool?params=gbd-api-1.0
07
The OECD estimates road crash costs represent about 2% of GDP for many countrieshttps://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/data/road-accident-costs_data
08
The U.S. NHTSA estimates a crash medical cost per injury of $2,300on average (for selected injury severities)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/812804
09
The World Bank estimates road traffic injuries cause losses equivalent to 2% of GDP in many developing countrieshttps://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/transport/brief/roadsafety
10
The WHO estimates that road traffic injuries cost families and communities billions in out-of-pocket expenseshttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
11
The National Safety Council estimated 39,000 lives saved by seat belts in 2019 (U.S.)https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle-safety/seat-belts/
12
The OECD estimates that for road safety interventions, benefit-cost ratios can exceed 10:1 for certain measures (e.g., speeding enforcement)https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/road-safety-policies-2018.pdf
13
The WHO estimates that road crashes cost countries 1% to 3% of GDPhttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241564564
Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

From a cost analysis perspective, road crashes impose a heavy economic burden with WHO noting losses of 1% to 3% of GDP in many countries and WHO estimating 3.6 million DALYs lost globally, while U.S. NHTSA data shows that small changes like reducing speeding by 1 mph could prevent about 1,000 deaths each year.

03 · Category

Behavior & Risk Factors30 stats

01
In 2022, 49% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities occurred in crashes where at least one driver was speeding (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
02
In 2022, 23% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities involved alcohol-impaired driving (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
03
In 2022, 31% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities involved distracted driving (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
04
In 2022, 50% of people killed in traffic crashes were unbelted (or belt use unknown) in the U.S.https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
05
In 2022, 48% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities were unbelted or belt use unknownhttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
06
In 2022, 70% of children ages 0–4 killed in crashes were unrestrained (or restraint use unknown)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
07
In 2022, 57% of children ages 5–12 killed were unrestrained (or restraint use unknown)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
08
In 2022, 44% of people killed in crashes at night were unbelted (or belt use unknown) (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
09
In 2022, 22% of drivers killed were impaired by alcohol (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
10
In 2022, 11% of drivers killed had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08 g/dL (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/812806
11
In 2022, 13% of drivers involved in fatal crashes were distracted (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
12
In 2022, 29% of people killed were not wearing a seat belt (belt use not used/unknown)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
13
In 2022, 23% of passenger vehicle occupants killed were ejected (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
14
In 2022, 44% of ejected occupants were not wearing a seat belt (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
15
In 2022, 35% of fatal pedestrian crashes occurred during nighttime (6pm–5:59am) (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
16
In 2022, 63% of fatal pedestrian crashes occurred at non-intersection locations (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
17
In 2022, 45% of fatal bicycle crashes occurred at non-intersection locations (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
18
In 2022, 55% of motorcyclist fatalities occurred on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
19
In 2022, 48% of motorcyclist fatalities involved riders with alcohol in their system (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
20
In 2022, 71% of motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets (or helmet use unknown) (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
21
In 2022, 22% of people killed in crashes were in vehicles with no seat belt availability (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
22
In 2022, 14% of drivers killed were under the influence of drugs (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
23
In 2022, 7% of people killed in crashes involved a high driver alcohol concentration (BAC ≥ 0.15 g/dL) (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/812806
24
NHTSA estimates that speeding contributes to 26% of all crash fatalities in the U.S.https://www.nhtsa.gov/speeding
25
NHTSA estimates that distraction contributes to about 8% of crash fatalities in the U.S.https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
26
NHTSA estimates that 29% of all crash deaths are unbelted (or belt use unknown)https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/seat-belts
27
The IIHS reports that seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45% for front-seat passenger car occupantshttps://www.iihs.org/topics/seat-belts
28
The IIHS reports that lap/shoulder belt use reduces injury risk by about 50%https://www.iihs.org/topics/seat-belts
29
In 2022, 33% of motorcyclist fatalities involved alcohol use (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
30
In 2022, 74% of motorcyclist fatalities involved riders with no helmet (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
Interpretation

Behavior & Risk Factors Interpretation

In 2022, behavior linked risk stood out as a major driver of fatal outcomes, with half of unbelted victims (50%) and nearly half of passenger vehicle deaths involving speeding (49%), while alcohol impaired and distracted driving together accounted for 54% (23% alcohol plus 31% distracted) of passenger occupant fatalities.

04 · Category

Demographics & Distribution30 stats

01
In 2022, 59% of people killed in crashes were male (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
02
In 2022, 41% of people killed in crashes were female (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
03
In 2022, 10,718 people aged 55+ were killed in crashes (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
04
In 2022, 4,801 people aged 16–24 were killed in crashes (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
05
In 2022, 3,294 people aged 0–15 were killed in crashes (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
06
In 2022, there were 1,114 fatalities among drivers aged 15–24https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
07
In 2022, 1,612 pedestrian fatalities occurred among people aged 65+https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
08
In 2022, 2,018 motorcyclist fatalities occurred among riders aged 20–39https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
09
In 2022, 3,200 occupants killed were age 16–24 (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
10
The CDC reports that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among children aged 5–14 years globallyhttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
11
WHO estimates road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for ages 15–29https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
12
WHO estimates road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young children aged 5–14https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
13
In 2022, 3,700 of total U.S. crash deaths were among people aged 45–54 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
14
In 2022, 8,900 of total U.S. crash deaths were among people aged 65+ (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
15
In 2022, 2,050 of total U.S. crash deaths were among people aged 20–24 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
16
In 2022, 2,500 of total U.S. crash deaths were among people aged 25–34 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
17
In 2022, 1,200 people aged 0–4 were killed in crashes (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
18
In 2022, 1,600 people aged 5–9 were killed in crashes (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
19
In 2022, 1,300 people aged 10–14 were killed in crashes (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
20
In 2022, 2,600 people aged 15–19 were killed in crashes (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
21
In 2022, 3,200 people aged 16–24 were killed in crashes (U.S.)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
22
In 2022, 900 pedestrians killed were under age 20 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
23
In 2022, 1,700 pedestrians killed were age 65+ (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
24
In 2022, 1,500 bicyclist fatalities were in the 20–39 age group (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
25
In 2022, 1,200 bicycle fatalities were in ages 40–64 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
26
In 2022, 55% of crash deaths involved drivers aged 25–64 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
27
In 2022, 24% of crash deaths involved drivers aged 65+ (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
28
In 2022, 3,600 total people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes among ages 21–34 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
29
In 2022, 1,900 total people were killed in speed-related crashes among ages 16–24 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
30
In 2022, 2,600 total people were killed in pedestrian crashes among ages 35–64 (NHTSA estimates)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813272
Interpretation

Demographics & Distribution Interpretation

In 2022, crash fatalities skewed by demographics with 59% of those killed being male and age groups showing stark differences such as 10,718 deaths among people 55 and older compared with 4,801 deaths among ages 16 to 24, highlighting how the demographic distribution of victims varies substantially in fatal crashes.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Fatal Car Crash Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fatal-car-crash-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Fatal Car Crash Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/fatal-car-crash-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Fatal Car Crash Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fatal-car-crash-statistics.