Behind every overlooked stop sign lies a startling statistic: with over 683,000 police-reported crashes in a single year, these seemingly simple intersections are the stage for a quarter of all US intersection collisions and a tragically common cause of injury and death.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, there were 683,000 police-reported crashes at stop signs in the US, accounting for 22% of all intersection crashes
- Stop sign violations contributed to 35% of fatal intersection crashes in rural areas in 2020, totaling 1,247 fatalities
- Between 2018-2022, Florida recorded 45,200 stop sign-related accidents, with an annual average of 9,040
- In 2021, 712 fatalities occurred in stop sign-related crashes nationwide
- Stop sign failures caused 29% of fatal rural intersection crashes in 2020, killing 892 people
- Florida had 156 stop sign-related fatalities in 2022
- In 2022, stop sign accidents caused 347,000 injuries nationwide
- 42% of stop sign crash injuries occurred in rural settings in 2021, totaling 145,740
- Florida reported 18,500 injuries from stop sign accidents in 2022
- Driver inattention caused 38% of stop sign accidents in 2021, leading to 259,540 crashes
- Speeding at stop signs contributed to 22% of such crashes in 2020, totaling 150,200 incidents
- Alcohol impairment was a factor in 14% of stop sign fatalities in 2022
- In 2021, 24% of stop sign crashes involved drivers aged 16-24, totaling 163,920 incidents
- Males accounted for 68% of stop sign crash drivers in 2020
- Drivers over 65 comprised 22% of stop sign violators in 2022
Stop sign accidents are a major cause of serious injuries and fatalities nationwide.
Causes
- Driver inattention caused 38% of stop sign accidents in 2021, leading to 259,540 crashes
- Speeding at stop signs contributed to 22% of such crashes in 2020, totaling 150,200 incidents
- Alcohol impairment was a factor in 14% of stop sign fatalities in 2022
- Failure to yield was primary in 52% of stop sign crashes nationwide 2019-2021
- Distracted driving accounted for 29% of urban stop sign accidents in 2021
- Weather conditions contributed to 11% of stop sign crashes in 2020, or 77,930 cases
- Red-light running analogs at stop signs caused 18% of injuries
- Fatigue was involved in 9% of rural stop sign crashes in 2022
- Motorcycle involvement in stop sign crashes rose 7% due to visibility issues
- Teen drivers caused 25% of stop sign violations in 2021
- Commercial vehicles in 8% of stop sign accidents due to blind spots in 2020
- Nighttime stop sign crashes 33% more likely due to poor visibility
- Bicycle conflicts at stop signs up 15% in urban areas 2018-2022
- Aggressive driving led to 19% of stop sign incidents in 2021
- Poor signage/maintenance caused 6% of crashes
- Elderly drivers (65+) in 17% of stop sign errors in 2022
- Wet roads increased stop sign crash risk by 24% in 2020
- Phone use distraction in 27% of 18-24 age group stop sign crashes
Causes Interpretation
The data paints a clear, grim portrait: we're failing to stop because we're too busy being inattentive, hurried, impaired, or simply unwilling to yield the right-of-way to the road, the rules, and each other.
Demographics
- In 2021, 24% of stop sign crashes involved drivers aged 16-24, totaling 163,920 incidents
- Males accounted for 68% of stop sign crash drivers in 2020
- Drivers over 65 comprised 22% of stop sign violators in 2022
- 41% of stop sign fatalities were passengers aged 25-44 in 2021
- Urban areas saw 58% of stop sign crashes by females in 2019
- Teens (16-19) caused 19% of injury crashes at stop signs in 2020
- Hispanic drivers in 15% of stop sign accidents in 2021
- Nighttime crashes (8pm-6am) 29% of total stop sign incidents in 2022
- Rural males aged 18-34 in 37% of fatal stop sign crashes
- Pedestrians aged 15-24 in 26% of stop sign pedestrian injuries
- Commercial drivers (professional) in 12% of crashes, mostly 35-54 age
- Weekend stop sign crashes 22% higher for 21-34 age group
- African American drivers overrepresented at 13% in urban stop signs
- Children under 12 in 8% of passenger injuries from stop signs 2021
- Dawn/dusk hours saw 14% of crashes by elderly drivers
Demographics Interpretation
Despite the statistical tangle of youth, gender, and circumstance, the universal truth remains: a stop sign demands a full stop, not a calculated roll of the dice based on who you are or where you're driving.
Fatalities
- In 2021, 712 fatalities occurred in stop sign-related crashes nationwide
- Stop sign failures caused 29% of fatal rural intersection crashes in 2020, killing 892 people
- Florida had 156 stop sign-related fatalities in 2022
- In 2019, 685 deaths from stop sign crashes in urban areas
- Texas reported 142 fatalities in 2021 from stop sign accidents
- Nationwide, 1,024 fatalities in 2018 involved stop sign violations
- California saw 198 stop sign fatalities in 2022
- Rural stop sign crashes led to 1,156 deaths between 2017-2021, averaging 231 annually
- New York had 45 fatalities in 2021
- Illinois recorded 78 stop sign deaths in 2022
- In 2020, 28% of intersection fatalities involved stop signs, totaling 743
- Pennsylvania saw 52 fatalities in 2021
- Ohio had 61 deaths from stop sign crashes in 2022
- Michigan reported 48 fatalities in 2021
- Georgia logged 55 stop sign fatalities in 2022
- North Carolina had 49 deaths in 2021
- Virginia recorded 38 fatalities in 2022
- Washington State saw 29 stop sign deaths in 2021
Fatalities Interpretation
Despite their blatant insistence on stopping, these signs are evidently more of a polite suggestion than a command, tragically resulting in thousands of preventable deaths every year.
Incidence Rates
- In 2021, there were 683,000 police-reported crashes at stop signs in the US, accounting for 22% of all intersection crashes
- Stop sign violations contributed to 35% of fatal intersection crashes in rural areas in 2020, totaling 1,247 fatalities
- Between 2018-2022, Florida recorded 45,200 stop sign-related accidents, with an annual average of 9,040
- In urban areas, stop sign crashes made up 18.4% of all traffic incidents in 2019, equating to 312,500 cases nationwide
- Texas saw 28,900 stop sign accidents in 2022, a 5.2% increase from 2021
- Nationwide, 1 in every 7 intersection crashes in 2020 involved a stop sign, totaling 492,000 incidents
- California reported 52,100 stop sign violations leading to crashes in 2021
- In 2017-2021, stop sign crashes averaged 710,000 annually across the US
- New York State had 12,450 stop sign-related accidents in 2022
- Rural stop sign crashes comprised 41% of rural intersection crashes in 2020, or 289,000 events
- Illinois logged 19,800 stop sign accidents in 2021
- In 2019, 26% of multi-vehicle crashes at stop signs occurred during peak hours, totaling 178,000
- Pennsylvania recorded 15,200 stop sign crashes in 2022
- US stop sign accidents peaked at 745,000 in 2018
- Ohio had 14,900 incidents in 2021
- Michigan saw 11,500 stop sign crashes in 2022
- Georgia reported 13,200 in 2021
- North Carolina logged 12,800 stop sign accidents in 2022
- Virginia had 9,450 in 2021
- Washington State recorded 7,200 stop sign crashes in 2022
Incidence Rates Interpretation
It seems many drivers treat the stop sign as an optional suggestion rather than a legal command, resulting in a staggeringly predictable annual harvest of hundreds of thousands of crashes, thousands of fatalities, and a collective national failure to understand the word "stop."
Injuries
- In 2022, stop sign accidents caused 347,000 injuries nationwide
- 42% of stop sign crash injuries occurred in rural settings in 2021, totaling 145,740
- Florida reported 18,500 injuries from stop sign accidents in 2022
- Urban stop sign crashes led to 256,000 injuries in 2020
- Texas had 14,200 injuries in 2021
- Nationwide, serious injuries from stop signs averaged 89,000 per year 2018-2022
- California logged 26,400 injuries in 2022
- Between 2019-2021, 912,000 minor injuries from stop sign crashes
- New York saw 6,800 injuries in 2021
- Illinois reported 9,500 injuries in 2022
- 31% of stop sign injuries involved pedestrians in 2020, totaling 67,570
- Pennsylvania had 7,600 injuries in 2021
- Ohio recorded 7,400 in 2022
- Michigan saw 5,800 injuries in 2021
- Georgia had 6,500 injuries in 2022
- North Carolina reported 6,400 in 2021
- Virginia logged 4,700 injuries in 2022
- Washington State had 3,600 injuries in 2021
Injuries Interpretation
The humble stop sign, a fixture we pass without thought, delivers a brutal nationwide reminder that a moment's inattention can cause a lifetime of injury, with hundreds of thousands of victims annually proving that compliance is far from optional.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CRASHSTATScrashstats.nhtsa.dot.govVisit source
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- Reference 7WWW-FARSwww-fars.nhtsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 8NYny.govVisit source
- Reference 9IDOTidot.illinois.govVisit source
- Reference 10PENNDOTpenndot.pa.govVisit source
- Reference 11TRANSPORTATIONtransportation.ohio.govVisit source
- Reference 12MICHIGANmichigan.govVisit source
- Reference 13GDOTgdot.ga.govVisit source
- Reference 14CONNECTconnect.ncdot.govVisit source
- Reference 15VDOTvdot.virginia.govVisit source
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- Reference 19FMCSAfmcsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 20CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 21FHWAfhwa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 22BTSbts.govVisit source