Every U.S. Road Death, Counted and Mapped
40,901 traffic fatalities in 2023, across 51 states and 3,137 counties, drawn directly from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
Teton County, WY records 12.3 fatalities per 100k residents a year, four times the state rate: FARS county maps flag the deadliest roads.
- 2023 fatalities
- 40,901
- National rate
- 12.2 /100k
- Alcohol-involved
- 18.8%
- Coverage
- 51 states · 3,137 counties
What does the data reveal that the headline number misses?
Four findings from our analysis of the full NHTSA FARS record, each linked to the study behind it.
5.1×
gap between the deadliest state (Mississippi, 24.9) and the safest (Massachusetts, 4.9) per 100k
41%
of 2023 road deaths happened on rural roads, which carry a far smaller share of total miles driven
17.9%
of all traffic deaths are now pedestrians, up from 13% in 2010
43.5%
of road deaths in Montana involve an alcohol-impaired driver, the highest share of any state
Highest traffic-fatality rates by state
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 2023
- MS
Mississippi
24.9 per 100k
- WY
Wyoming
24.7 per 100k
- NM
New Mexico
20.7 per 100k
- SC
South Carolina
19.5 per 100k
- AR
Arkansas
19.4 per 100k
- AL
Alabama
19.1 per 100k
- TN
Tennessee
18.6 per 100k
- MT
Montana
18.4 per 100k
- KY
Kentucky
18 per 100k
- LA
Louisiana
17.7 per 100k
What this shows Mississippi leads the nation at 24.9 per 100,000, well above the national average of 12.2. Rural, low-density states cluster at the top of this per-capita measure.
U.S. traffic deaths by year
Total road fatalities nationwide, 2015 to 2023
- 2015
2015
35,484 deaths
- 2016
2016
37,806 deaths
- 2017
2017
37,473 deaths
- 2018
2018
36,835 deaths
- 2019
2019
36,355 deaths
- 2020
2020
39,007 deaths
- 2021
2021
43,230 deaths
- 2022
2022
42,721 deaths
- 2023
2023
40,901 deaths
What this shows After years on a plateau, U.S. road deaths jumped during 2020 and 2021 and remain well above pre-pandemic levels, with 40,901 lives lost in 2023.
Highest Fatality Rates by State
All rankings →| # | State | Rate per 100K | 2023 Fatalities | Drunk % | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 24.9 | 732 | 18.7% | ↑ increasing |
| 2 | Wyoming | 24.7 | 144 | 31.3% | ↑ increasing |
| 3 | New Mexico | 20.7 | 437 | 23.8% | ↓ decreasing |
| 4 | South Carolina | 19.5 | 1,047 | 31.1% | ↓ decreasing |
| 5 | Arkansas | 19.4 | 596 | 24.0% | ↓ decreasing |
| 6 | Alabama | 19.1 | 974 | 21.9% | ↔ stable |
| 7 | Tennessee | 18.6 | 1,323 | 24.3% | ↔ stable |
| 8 | Montana | 18.4 | 208 | 43.5% | ↓ decreasing |
| 9 | Kentucky | 18.0 | 814 | 23.5% | ↑ increasing |
| 10 | Louisiana | 17.7 | 811 | 29.5% | ↓ decreasing |
What causes the most U.S. road deaths?
All causes →Unrestrained Occupants
37.3%
130,380 total fatalities
↓ decreasing (-4.8%)
Alcohol-Impaired Driving
24.5%
85,664 total fatalities
↓ decreasing (-9.4%)
Weather-Related
23.8%
83,147 total fatalities
↔ stable (+0.5%)
Speeding
23.2%
81,058 total fatalities
↓ decreasing (-3.0%)
Pedestrian Fatalities
16.9%
59,237 total fatalities
↓ decreasing (-3.7%)
Distracted Driving
9.1%
31,739 total fatalities
↓ decreasing (-3.4%)
Cyclist Fatalities
2.4%
8,397 total fatalities
↑ increasing (+4.4%)
Road Safety Guides
Understanding Road Fatality Data
What FARS tracks, how the census of fatal crashes works, and what fatality rates per 100K and per VMT mean.
Leading Causes of Traffic Deaths
Impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving, pedestrian crashes, and unrestrained occupants — what the data shows.
Safest Roads in America
Which states have the lowest and highest fatality rates, urban vs. rural differences, and what drives the variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What data does PlainRoadSafety provide?
PlainRoadSafety provides NHTSA fatality data for all 51 states and 3,000+ counties, covering 10 cause categories from 2018-2022.
What causes of road fatalities are tracked?
Categories include speeding, alcohol-impaired driving, distracted driving, pedestrian fatalities, motorcycle crashes, and other major cause factors.
Where does the data come from?
All data comes from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which records every fatal motor vehicle crash on U.S. public roads.
PlainRoadSafety presents NHTSA FARS fatality statistics for public awareness and does not constitute traffic safety, legal, or engineering advice. Contact your state DOT or a traffic safety professional for road-specific guidance.
Research
Original analysis from our editorial team, every statistic derived from our own database. See all research.
PlainRoadSafety Research
Original analyses of NHTSA fatality and crash data — state and age-group breakdowns, methodology notes, and the underlying dataset.
BrowseState Fatality Rates & VMT Comparisons
SSR-driven state-level summaries computed live from the NHTSA FARS database — fatality counts, per-capita rates, and per-VMT comparisons.
ResearchFatalities by Age Group: Trends from 2015 to 2023
The 45-54 age group saw 5304 fatalities in 2015, dropping to lower figures by 2023, while 65-74 recorded 3140, per NHTSA's age_groups and yearly_national tables.