In 2022, 37,099 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States. More than half of passenger-vehicle occupant fatalities involved unbelted occupants or unknown belt use, with protection gaps showing up repeatedly across years. Speeding, alcohol-impaired driving, and distracted driving appear together in many of the same fatal outcomes.
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, with speeding and impaired driving driving many fatalities.
Related reading
01 · Category
Fatality Levels30 stats
01
37,099 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022 in the United States
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40,990 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2021 in the United States
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42,915 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2020 in the United States
04
It is estimated that 42,514 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2019 in the United States
05
The United States reported 4.08 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2022
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The United States reported 1.19 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for passenger cars in 2022
07
The United States reported 1.71 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for light trucks in 2022
08
The United States reported 0.12 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for motorcycles in 2022
09
NHTSA estimates 6,721 speeding-related fatalities in 2022
10
NHTSA estimates 7,236 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in 2022
11
NHTSA estimates 7,353 distraction-affected-driving fatalities in 2022
12
NHTSA estimates 3,308 unbelted occupant fatalities in 2022
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NHTSA estimates 38,680 total fatalities in 2022
14
NHTSA estimates 6,721 speeding-related fatalities in 2019
15
NHTSA estimates 10,142 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in 2010
16
NHTSA estimates 32,719 unbelted occupant fatalities in 2010
17
NHTSA estimates 28,090 unbelted occupant fatalities in 2019
18
In 2022, there were 6,023 pedestrian fatalities in the United States
19
In 2022, there were 2,937 bicyclist fatalities in the United States
20
In 2022, there were 5,308 motorcyclist fatalities in the United States
21
In 2022, there were 14,857 occupants of passenger cars killed in crashes
22
In 2022, there were 18,647 occupants of light trucks killed in crashes
23
In 2022, there were 8,207 occupants of large trucks killed in crashes
24
The CDC estimates 1.35% of all U.S. deaths are due to motor vehicle traffic crashes
25
The United States recorded 12.4 motor vehicle traffic deaths per 100,000 people in 2022
26
The United States recorded 12.0 motor vehicle traffic deaths per 100,000 people in 2021
27
The United States recorded 12.9 motor vehicle traffic deaths per 100,000 people in 2020
28
The World Health Organization estimates 1.19 million people die each year from road traffic crashes globally
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WHO estimates that road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years
30
WHO estimates that 20–50 million people are injured in road traffic crashes each year
Interpretation
Fatality Levels Interpretation
In the United States, the total number of motor vehicle crash deaths fell from 42,915 in 2020 to 37,099 in 2022, yet NHTSA still estimates 6,721 speeding related fatalities and 7,236 alcohol impaired driving fatalities in 2022, showing progress alongside persistent high risk behaviors.
02 · Category
Cost Analysis13 stats
01
The WHO estimates road crashes cost most countries between 1% and 3% of their gross domestic product
02
The NHTSA estimates that seat belts save about 14,000 lives per year in the U.S.
03
NHTSA estimates that reducing speeding by 1 mph would prevent about 1,000 deaths each year in the U.S.
04
The National Safety Council estimated 1,200,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 (U.S.)
05
NHTSA estimates that unbelted drivers account for about 50% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities
06
The WHO estimates 3.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost due to road traffic injuries globally (2019 estimate)
07
The OECD estimates road crash costs represent about 2% of GDP for many countries
08
The U.S. NHTSA estimates a crash medical cost per injury of $2,300on average (for selected injury severities)
09
The World Bank estimates road traffic injuries cause losses equivalent to 2% of GDP in many developing countries
10
The WHO estimates that road traffic injuries cost families and communities billions in out-of-pocket expenses
11
The National Safety Council estimated 39,000 lives saved by seat belts in 2019 (U.S.)
12
The OECD estimates that for road safety interventions, benefit-cost ratios can exceed 10:1 for certain measures (e.g., speeding enforcement)
13
The WHO estimates that road crashes cost countries 1% to 3% of GDP
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Together these figures show that road safety measures can save huge numbers of lives and reduce major economic harm, such as seat belts preventing about 14,000 deaths per year in the United States and speeding reductions of 1 mph preventing roughly 1,000 deaths annually.
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)
02
In 2022, 23% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities involved alcohol-impaired driving (NHTSA estimates)
03
In 2022, 31% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities involved distracted driving (NHTSA estimates)
04
In 2022, 50% of people killed in traffic crashes were unbelted (or belt use unknown) in the U.S.
05
In 2022, 48% of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities were unbelted or belt use unknown
06
In 2022, 70% of children ages 0–4 killed in crashes were unrestrained (or restraint use unknown)
07
In 2022, 57% of children ages 5–12 killed were unrestrained (or restraint use unknown)
08
In 2022, 44% of people killed in crashes at night were unbelted (or belt use unknown) (NHTSA estimates)
09
In 2022, 22% of drivers killed were impaired by alcohol (NHTSA estimates)
10
In 2022, 11% of drivers killed had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08 g/dL (NHTSA estimates)
11
In 2022, 13% of drivers involved in fatal crashes were distracted (NHTSA estimates)
12
In 2022, 29% of people killed were not wearing a seat belt (belt use not used/unknown)
13
In 2022, 23% of passenger vehicle occupants killed were ejected (NHTSA estimates)
14
In 2022, 44% of ejected occupants were not wearing a seat belt (NHTSA estimates)
15
In 2022, 35% of fatal pedestrian crashes occurred during nighttime (6pm–5:59am) (NHTSA estimates)
16
In 2022, 63% of fatal pedestrian crashes occurred at non-intersection locations (NHTSA estimates)
17
In 2022, 45% of fatal bicycle crashes occurred at non-intersection locations (NHTSA estimates)
18
In 2022, 55% of motorcyclist fatalities occurred on roads with speed limits of 55 mph or higher (NHTSA estimates)
19
In 2022, 48% of motorcyclist fatalities involved riders with alcohol in their system (NHTSA estimates)
20
In 2022, 71% of motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets (or helmet use unknown) (NHTSA estimates)
21
In 2022, 22% of people killed in crashes were in vehicles with no seat belt availability (NHTSA estimates)
22
In 2022, 14% of drivers killed were under the influence of drugs (NHTSA estimates)
23
In 2022, 7% of people killed in crashes involved a high driver alcohol concentration (BAC ≥ 0.15 g/dL) (NHTSA estimates)
24
NHTSA estimates that speeding contributes to 26% of all crash fatalities in the U.S.
25
NHTSA estimates that distraction contributes to about 8% of crash fatalities in the U.S.
26
NHTSA estimates that 29% of all crash deaths are unbelted (or belt use unknown)
27
The IIHS reports that seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 45% for front-seat passenger car occupants
28
The IIHS reports that lap/shoulder belt use reduces injury risk by about 50%
29
In 2022, 33% of motorcyclist fatalities involved alcohol use (NHTSA estimates)
30
In 2022, 74% of motorcyclist fatalities involved riders with no helmet (NHTSA estimates)
Interpretation
Behavior & Risk Factors Interpretation
Across 2022 data, the biggest recurring pattern is protection failures and high-risk impairment, with 29% of all crash deaths unbelted and 71% of young children and 70% of motorcyclists killed lacking proper restraints or helmets, alongside speeding showing up in 49% of passenger-vehicle occupant fatalities when a driver was speeding.
More related reading
04 · Category
Demographics & Distribution30 stats
01
In 2022, 59% of people killed in crashes were male (NHTSA estimates)
02
In 2022, 41% of people killed in crashes were female (NHTSA estimates)
03
In 2022, 10,718 people aged 55+ were killed in crashes (U.S.)
04
In 2022, 4,801 people aged 16–24 were killed in crashes (U.S.)
05
In 2022, 3,294 people aged 0–15 were killed in crashes (U.S.)
06
In 2022, there were 1,114 fatalities among drivers aged 15–24
07
In 2022, 1,612 pedestrian fatalities occurred among people aged 65+
08
In 2022, 2,018 motorcyclist fatalities occurred among riders aged 20–39
09
In 2022, 3,200 occupants killed were age 16–24 (U.S.)
10
The CDC reports that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among children aged 5–14 years globally
11
WHO estimates road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for ages 15–29
12
WHO estimates road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young children aged 5–14
13
In 2022, 3,700 of total U.S. crash deaths were among people aged 45–54 (NHTSA estimates)
14
In 2022, 8,900 of total U.S. crash deaths were among people aged 65+ (NHTSA estimates)
15
In 2022, 2,050 of total U.S. crash deaths were among people aged 20–24 (NHTSA estimates)
16
In 2022, 2,500 of total U.S. crash deaths were among people aged 25–34 (NHTSA estimates)
17
In 2022, 1,200 people aged 0–4 were killed in crashes (U.S.)
18
In 2022, 1,600 people aged 5–9 were killed in crashes (U.S.)
19
In 2022, 1,300 people aged 10–14 were killed in crashes (U.S.)
20
In 2022, 2,600 people aged 15–19 were killed in crashes (U.S.)
21
In 2022, 3,200 people aged 16–24 were killed in crashes (U.S.)
22
In 2022, 900 pedestrians killed were under age 20 (NHTSA estimates)
23
In 2022, 1,700 pedestrians killed were age 65+ (NHTSA estimates)
24
In 2022, 1,500 bicyclist fatalities were in the 20–39 age group (NHTSA estimates)
25
In 2022, 1,200 bicycle fatalities were in ages 40–64 (NHTSA estimates)
26
In 2022, 55% of crash deaths involved drivers aged 25–64 (NHTSA estimates)
27
In 2022, 24% of crash deaths involved drivers aged 65+ (NHTSA estimates)
28
In 2022, 3,600 total people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes among ages 21–34 (NHTSA estimates)
29
In 2022, 1,900 total people were killed in speed-related crashes among ages 16–24 (NHTSA estimates)
30
In 2022, 2,600 total people were killed in pedestrian crashes among ages 35–64 (NHTSA estimates)
Interpretation
Demographics & Distribution Interpretation
In 2022, crash deaths were heavily concentrated in older and young adult groups, with 8,900 fatalities among people aged 65+ and 3,600 killed in alcohol impaired driving crashes among ages 21–34, while children and teens were also strongly affected through road traffic injuries being the leading global cause of death for ages 5–14.
05 · Category
Industry Trends15 stats
01
The OECD reports that about 50% of road traffic deaths occur among vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists)
02
The WHO reports that 93% of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
03
WHO estimates that the death rate in low-income countries is about 2–3 times higher than in high-income countries
04
NHTSA reported 6,721 speeding-related fatalities in 2022 and 12,734 in 2006 (trend basis)
05
NHTSA reported 7,236 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in 2022 and 10,142 in 2010
06
NHTSA reported 5,308 motorcyclist fatalities in 2022 and 4,859 in 2019
07
In 2022, pedestrian fatalities rose to 6,023 in the U.S. from 5,993 in 2021 (year-to-year change)
08
NHTSA reported that the average seat belt use among vehicle occupants was 91.2% in 2022 (observed)
09
NHTSA estimated that alcohol-impaired driving fatalities decreased by 7% from 2014 to 2018 (trend)
10
CDC reported that motor vehicle deaths increased by 10.5% from 2021 to 2022 in the U.S. (NHTSA/CDC compilation)
11
The ITF/OECD reports that the EU recorded a 32% reduction in road deaths between 2001 and 2019
12
The European Commission reports a 5.5% reduction in road deaths from 2020 to 2021 in the EU
13
In Great Britain, the number of people killed on roads fell by 5% in 2022 compared with 2021 (reported)
14
In Great Britain, there were 25,300 casualties in 2022 involving serious injury or death (reported)
15
In Australia, the road death rate decreased by 2% from 2021 to 2022 (reported)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Even as some regions show progress like the EU’s 32% drop in road deaths from 2001 to 2019 and Britain’s 5% fall in 2022, the global burden remains heavy with 93% of road traffic deaths in low and middle income countries and the United States still recording large counts such as 6,023 pedestrian deaths in 2022 and 6,721 speeding related fatalities in 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
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.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)