ROAD SAFETY GUIDE
Road Safety Guides
Educational resources to help you understand US traffic fatality data, leading crash causes, and regional road safety patterns from NHTSA FARS.
Understanding Road Fatality Data
What FARS tracks, how the census of fatal crashes works, and what fatality rates per 100K population and per VMT actually mean.
Leading Causes of Traffic Deaths in America
Impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving, pedestrian fatalities, and unrestrained occupants, what NHTSA FARS data reveals about each.
Safest Roads in America
Which states have the lowest and highest fatality rates, how urban and rural roads differ, and what drives variation across the country.
Most Dangerous Roads by State
State rankings by traffic fatality rate per VMT. Why rural states dominate the danger rankings and what structural factors drive the gap with safer states.
DUI Statistics and Trends
Alcohol-impaired driving kills 10,000–13,000 Americans per year. State-by-state rates, 40-year national trends, and evidence-based interventions that work.
What causes the most traffic deaths in the US?
According to NHTSA FARS data, alcohol-impaired driving, speeding, and unrestrained occupants are the three leading contributors to US traffic fatalities. Alcohol-impaired crashes (BAC 0.08+) account for roughly 30% of all traffic deaths. Speeding is a factor in about 29% of fatal crashes. Unrestrained occupants make up approximately 47% of passenger vehicle deaths. These categories overlap, as a single fatal crash may involve multiple contributing factors. These guides draw on the same FARS census covering 51 states and 3,137 counties from 2015 through 2023 described in our methodology.
Methodology
Our guides are based on publicly available data from authoritative government sources. All statistics, ratings, and figures cited in these guides are drawn directly from official datasets and publications, with sources clearly referenced throughout.
We aim to present complex government data in plain language that is accessible to general audiences. When methodologies differ between data sources or change over time, we note these variations inline. Our editorial process includes regular reviews to ensure accuracy and timeliness of the information presented.