Causes of Road Fatalities
Leading contributing factors in US traffic fatalities, from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which logs roughly 40,000 US road deaths a year. Note that categories are not mutually exclusive; a single crash may involve multiple causes. See our methodology.
Unrestrained Occupants
Vehicle occupants killed while not wearing seatbelts or child restraints
37.3%
of all fatalities
130,380
total
Alcohol-Impaired Driving
Crashes involving a driver with BAC >= 0.08 or reported as drinking
24.5%
of all fatalities
85,664
total
Weather-Related
Crashes occurring in adverse weather (rain, snow, fog, ice)
23.8%
of all fatalities
83,147
total
Speeding
Crashes where speed was a contributing factor (exceeded limit, too fast for conditions, racing)
23.2%
of all fatalities
81,058
total
Pedestrian Fatalities
Pedestrians killed in motor vehicle crashes
16.9%
of all fatalities
59,237
total
Distracted Driving
Crashes involving a distracted driver (phone use, eating, inattention)
9.1%
of all fatalities
31,739
total
Cyclist Fatalities
Bicyclists and pedalcyclists killed in motor vehicle crashes
2.4%
of all fatalities
8,397
total
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Categories are not mutually exclusive. This data is for informational purposes only