People Table 34. Drivers of Passenger Vehicles in Fatal Crashes by Number of Vehicles Involved, Driver-Related Factors, and Violations Recorded, 2019
| Driver-Related Factors | Single-Vehicle Crashes: Number | Single-Vehicle Crashes: Percent | Multiple-Vehicle Crashes: Number | Multiple-Vehicle Crashes: Percent | Total: Number | Total: Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding of Any Kind | 3,939 | 26.5% | 2,557 | 10.5% | 6,496 | 16.6% |
| Impairment (Fatigue, Alcohol, Illness, etc.) | 3,313 | 22.3% | 2,585 | 10.6% | 5,898 | 15.1% |
| Failure to Yield Right of Way | 429 | 2.9% | 2,843 | 11.7% | 3,272 | 8.4% |
| Improper Lane Usagea | 572 | 3.8% | 2,348 | 9.7% | 2,920 | 7.5% |
| Careless Driving | 1,336 | 9.0% | 1,249 | 5.1% | 2,585 | 6.6% |
| Distraction/Inattention (Cell Phone, Lost in Thought, Eating, etc.) | 1,117 | 7.5% | 1,341 | 5.5% | 2,458 | 6.3% |
| Failure to Obey Actual Traffic Sign, Traffic Control Devices, or Traffic Officers; Failure to Obey Safety Zone Traffic Laws | 355 | 2.4% | 1,362 | 5.6% | 1,717 | 4.4% |
| Operating the Vehicle in an Erratic, Reckless, Careless, or Negligent Manner or Operating at Erratic or Suddenly Changing Speeds | 802 | 5.4% | 660 | 2.7% | 1,462 | 3.7% |
| Overcorrecting | 1,160 | 7.8% | 247 | 1.0% | 1,407 | 3.6% |
| Vision Obscured (by Weather, Roadway Design, Vehicles, etc.) | 536 | 3.6% | 677 | 2.8% | 1,213 | 3.1% |
| Driving on Wrong Side of Road (Intentional or Unintentional) | 100 | 0.7% | 870 | 3.6% | 970 | 2.5% |
| Non-Traffic Violation Charged - Manslaughter or Homicide or Other Assault | 285 | 1.9% | 328 | 1.3% | 613 | 1.6% |
| Improper or Erratic Lane Changing | 164 | 1.1% | 377 | 1.6% | 541 | 1.4% |
| Ice, Water, Snow, Slush, Sand, Dirt, Oil, Wet Leaves on Road | 229 | 1.5% | 292 | 1.2% | 521 | 1.3% |
| Following Improperly | 26 | 0.2% | 399 | 1.6% | 425 | 1.1% |
| Aggressive Driving / Road Rage | 185 | 1.2% | 137 | 0.6% | 322 | 0.8% |
| Making Improper Turn | 66 | 0.4% | 256 | 1.1% | 322 | 0.8% |
| Passing with Insufficient Distance or Inadequate Visibility or Failing to Yield to Overtaking Vehicle | 48 | 0.3% | 215 | 0.9% | 263 | 0.7% |
| Driver has a Driving Record or Driver’s License from More than One State | 83 | 0.6% | 150 | 0.6% | 233 | 0.6% |
| Police Pursuing this Driver or Police Officer in Pursuit | 139 | 0.9% | 89 | 0.4% | 228 | 0.6% |
| Looked But Did Not See | 90 | 0.6% | 126 | 0.5% | 216 | 0.6% |
| Driver Has Not Complied With Physical or Other Imposed Restrictions | 95 | 0.6% | 81 | 0.3% | 176 | 0.4% |
| Driving Wrong Way on One-Way Trafficway | 12 | 0.1% | 133 | 0.5% | 145 | 0.4% |
| Stopping in Roadway (Vehicle Not Abandoned) | 6 | * | 137 | 0.6% | 143 | 0.4% |
| Driver Has Not Complied with Learners Permit or Intermediate Driver License Restrictions (GDL Restrictions) | 67 | 0.5% | 60 | 0.2% | 127 | 0.3% |
| Passing Where Prohibited by Posted Signs, Pavement Markings, Hill, Curve, or School Bus Displaying Warning Not to Pass | 17 | 0.1% | 81 | 0.3% | 98 | 0.3% |
| Alcohol and/or Drug Test Refused | 44 | 0.3% | 50 | 0.2% | 94 | 0.2% |
| Operator Inexperience | 45 | 0.3% | 45 | 0.2% | 90 | 0.2% |
| Vehicle in Road | 15 | 0.1% | 52 | 0.2% | 67 | 0.2% |
| Tire Blow-Out or Flat | 45 | 0.3% | 12 | 0.0% | 57 | 0.1% |
| Starting or Backing Improperly | 34 | 0.2% | 17 | 0.1% | 51 | 0.1% |
| Passing on Right Side | 18 | 0.1% | 32 | 0.1% | 50 | 0.1% |
| Phantom Vehicle | 30 | 0.2% | 20 | 0.1% | 50 | 0.1% |
| Police or Law Enforcement Officer | 10 | 0.1% | 39 | 0.2% | 49 | 0.1% |
| Slippery or Loose Surface | 26 | 0.2% | 23 | 0.1% | 49 | 0.1% |
| At Least One Driver-Related Factor Recorded | 9,129 | 61.4% | 11,794 | 48.5% | 20,923 | 53.4% |
| No Driver-Related Factors Recorded | 5,740 | 38.6% | 12,510 | 51.5% | 18,250 | 46.6% |
| Totalb | 14,869 | 100.0% | 24,304 | 100.0% | 39,173 | 100.0% |
| At Least One Moving Violation Recorded | 1,816 | 12.2% | 2,897 | 11.9% | 4,713 | 12.0% |
| No Moving Violations Recorded | 13,053 | 87.8% | 21,407 | 88.1% | 34,460 | 88.0% |
| Totalb | 14,869 | 100.0% | 24,304 | 100.0% | 39,173 | 100.0% |
| *Less than 0.05 percent. | ||||||
| a"Improper Lane Usage" was formerly known as "Failure to Keep in Proper Lane." | ||||||
| bThe sums of numbers and percentages may be greater than the totals shown, because more than one factor may be present for a single driver. | ||||||
| Note: A passenger vehicle is defined here as a car or light truck (including pickups, vans, and sport utility vehicles). | ||||||
| Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). | ||||||
Last updated: Tuesday, January 31, 2023