Trends Table 5. Passenger Vehicle Fatal Crash Statistics, 1975-2020
| Year | Fatal Crashes Involving Passenger Vehicles | Passenger Vehicles Involved in Fatal Crashes | Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities | Total Fatalities in Passenger Vehicle Crashes | Million Vehicle Miles Traveled by Passenger Vehicles | Rates per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled by Passenger Vehicles: Fatal Crashes Involving Passenger Vehicles | Rates per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled by Passenger Vehicles: Passenger Vehicles Involved in Fatal Crashes | Rates per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled by Passenger Vehicles: Fatalities in Passenger Vehicle Crashes | Passenger Vehicles Registered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 35,057 | 46,533 | 30,785 | 40,187 | 1,234,650 | 2.84 | 3.77 | 3.25 | 115,364,709 |
| 1976 | 35,242 | 46,506 | 31,604 | 40,724 | 1,304,049 | 2.70 | 3.57 | 3.12 | 119,806,386 |
| 1977 | 37,197 | 49,438 | 32,758 | 42,599 | 1,359,834 | 2.74 | 3.64 | 3.13 | 123,400,366 |
| 1978 | 39,226 | 52,442 | 34,898 | 44,870 | 1,425,922 | 2.75 | 3.68 | 3.15 | 129,141,048 |
| 1979 | 39,637 | 52,543 | 34,986 | 45,207 | 1,405,545 | 2.82 | 3.74 | 3.22 | 132,476,608 |
| 1980 | 39,623 | 51,739 | 34,935 | 45,139 | 1,402,531 | 2.83 | 3.69 | 3.22 | 134,831,752 |
| 1981 | 38,544 | 51,195 | 33,726 | 43,586 | 1,429,675 | 2.70 | 3.58 | 3.05 | 137,239,007 |
| 1982 | 34,619 | 45,651 | 29,689 | 39,262 | 1,467,854 | 2.36 | 3.11 | 2.67 | 139,244,282 |
| 1983 | 33,481 | 44,416 | 29,181 | 37,866 | 1,522,697 | 2.20 | 2.92 | 2.49 | 142,153,582 |
| 1984 | 34,979 | 46,621 | 30,116 | 39,382 | 1,585,049 | 2.21 | 2.94 | 2.48 | 147,435,149 |
| 1985 | 34,567 | 46,741 | 29,901 | 38,976 | 1,637,759 | 2.11 | 2.85 | 2.38 | 154,013,265 |
| 1986 | 36,612 | 49,522 | 32,261 | 41,373 | 1,694,082 | 2.16 | 2.92 | 2.44 | 157,031,560 |
| 1987 | 37,342 | 51,094 | 33,190 | 42,119 | 1,772,852 | 2.11 | 2.88 | 2.38 | 161,543,801 |
| 1988 | 38,252 | 52,263 | 34,114 | 43,069 | 1,872,478 | 2.04 | 2.79 | 2.30 | 166,118,639 |
| 1989 | 37,102 | 51,110 | 33,614 | 41,782 | 1,937,696 | 1.91 | 2.64 | 2.16 | 169,892,626 |
| 1990 | 36,281 | 49,705 | 32,693 | 40,879 | 1,982,837 | 1.83 | 2.51 | 2.06 | 173,193,097 |
| 1991 | 33,701 | 46,123 | 30,776 | 38,134 | 2,007,579 | 1.68 | 2.30 | 1.90 | 175,389,400 |
| 1992 | 32,109 | 44,465 | 29,485 | 36,323 | 2,078,432 | 1.54 | 2.14 | 1.75 | 174,182,793 |
| 1993 | 32,969 | 45,565 | 30,077 | 37,222 | 2,120,459 | 1.55 | 2.15 | 1.76 | 177,629,233 |
| 1994 | 33,390 | 46,626 | 30,901 | 37,742 | 2,170,723 | 1.54 | 2.15 | 1.74 | 181,482,575 |
| 1995 | 34,555 | 48,527 | 31,991 | 39,014 | 2,228,323 | 1.55 | 2.18 | 1.75 | 185,762,753 |
| 1996 | 34,792 | 48,973 | 32,438 | 39,265 | 2,286,394 | 1.52 | 2.14 | 1.72 | 190,051,664 |
| 1997 | 34,595 | 48,687 | 32,448 | 39,187 | 2,353,295 | 1.47 | 2.07 | 1.67 | 191,960,390 |
| 1998 | 34,274 | 48,403 | 31,899 | 38,539 | 2,417,852 | 1.42 | 2.00 | 1.59 | 195,749,209 |
| 1999 | 34,163 | 47,896 | 32,127 | 38,571 | 2,470,122 | 1.38 | 1.94 | 1.56 | 200,012,521 |
| 2000 | 34,379 | 48,300 | 32,225 | 38,695 | 2,523,346 | 1.36 | 1.91 | 1.53 | 212,706,399 |
| 2001 | 34,496 | 48,417 | 32,043 | 38,725 | 2,569,980 | 1.34 | 1.88 | 1.51 | 221,821,103 |
| 2002 | 35,123 | 49,042 | 32,843 | 39,514 | 2,624,508 | 1.34 | 1.87 | 1.51 | 220,931,982 |
| 2003 | 34,879 | 48,861 | 32,271 | 39,148 | 2,655,987 | 1.31 | 1.84 | 1.47 | 222,856,560 |
| 2004 | 34,530 | 48,168 | 31,866 | 38,759 | 2,727,054 | 1.27 | 1.77 | 1.42 | 228,275,978 |
| 2005 | 34,837 | 48,133 | 31,549 | 38,933 | 2,749,472 | 1.27 | 1.75 | 1.42 | 231,904,922 |
| 2006 | 34,204 | 46,671 | 30,686 | 38,140 | 2,773,025 | 1.23 | 1.68 | 1.38 | 234,524,720 |
| 2007 | 32,787 | 44,666 | 29,072 | 36,460 | 2,691,034 | 1.22 | 1.66 | 1.35 | 235,678,150 |
| 2008 | 29,568 | 39,653 | 25,462 | 32,638 | 2,630,213 | 1.12 | 1.51 | 1.24 | 236,448,155 |
| 2009 | 27,019 | 36,371 | 23,447 | 29,940 | 2,633,248 | 1.03 | 1.38 | 1.14 | 234,467,679 |
| 2010 | 26,349 | 35,295 | 22,273 | 28,957 | 2,648,456 | 0.99 | 1.33 | 1.09 | 230,444,440 |
| 2011 | 25,697 | 34,314 | 21,316 | 28,165 | 2,650,458 | 0.97 | 1.29 | 1.06 | 233,841,422 |
| 2012 | 26,731 | 35,619 | 21,779 | 29,361 | 2,664,060 | 1.00 | 1.34 | 1.10 | 233,760,558 |
| 2013 | 26,024 | 34,886 | 21,224 | 28,579 | 2,677,730 | 0.97 | 1.30 | 1.07 | 236,010,230 |
| 2014 | 26,054 | 35,055 | 21,050 | 28,615 | 2,710,556 | 0.96 | 1.29 | 1.06 | 240,155,238 |
| 2015 | 28,301 | 38,679 | 22,639 | 31,129 | 2,779,693 | 1.02 | 1.39 | 1.12 | 242,917,192 |
| 2016† | 29,973 | 40,997 | 23,787 | 32,876 | 2,849,718 | 1.05 | 1.44 | 1.15 | 247,644,981 |
| 2017† | 30,001 | 41,288 | 23,663 | 32,771 | 2,877,378 | 1.04 | 1.43 | 1.14 | 250,553,248 |
| 2018† | 29,354 | 40,496 | 22,845 | 32,131 | 2,897,083 | 1.01 | 1.40 | 1.11 | 250,709,853 |
| 2019† | 28,863 | 39,749 | 22,372 | 31,593 | 2,924,053 | 0.99 | 1.36 | 1.08 | 253,814,184 |
| 2020† | 30,364 | 41,434 | 23,824 | 33,269 | 2,568,745 | 1.18 | 1.61 | 1.30 | 253,121,228 |
| †Beginning with data for 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) implemented changes to revise vehicle classification based on gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which reclassified 329 light pickup trucks as large trucks. Due to this methodology change, comparisons of the 2016 (and later) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) large truck data with prior years should be performed with caution. | |||||||||
| Notes: A passenger vehicle is defined as a car or light truck (including pickups, vans, and sport utility vehicles). The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) implemented an enhanced methodology for estimating registered vehicles and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by vehicle type beginning with data from 2007. As a result, involvement rates may differ, and in some cases significantly, from earlier years. | |||||||||
| Sources: VMT and Registered Vehicles: FHWA, Highway Statistics 2020. Fatal Crashes, Vehicles Involved, and Fatalities: NHTSA, FARS. | |||||||||
Last updated: Tuesday, February 7, 2023