California Road Fatality Data
CA fatality rate: 10.4 per 100K population. Trend: ↓ Decreasing (-10.5%)
Fatality Rate
10.4
per 100K population
Total Fatalities
35,718
2015-2023
2023 Fatalities
4,061
VMT Rate
1.3
per 100M VMT
Cause Breakdown
Alcohol-Impaired
27.3%
9,739 fatalities
Speeding
28.9%
10,310 fatalities
Pedestrian
25.7%
9,192 fatalities
Unrestrained
26.7%
9,539 fatalities
Distracted
4.9%
1,758 fatalities
Weather-Related
15.4%
5,490 fatalities
Nighttime
57.0%
20,358 fatalities
Cyclist
3.7%
1,339 fatalities
Rural vs. Urban
Rural Fatalities
11,318
31.7%
Urban Fatalities
24,359
68.2%
Yearly Fatality Trend
| Year | Fatalities | Rate | Alcohol | Speeding | Pedestrian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3,387 | 8.7 | 1,093 | 993 | 819 |
| 2016 | 3,837 | 9.8 | 1,148 | 1,122 | 933 |
| 2017 | 3,884 | 10.0 | 1,169 | 1,079 | 940 |
| 2018 | 3,798 | 9.7 | 1,081 | 958 | 978 |
| 2019 | 3,719 | 9.5 | 1,005 | 1,079 | 1,011 |
| 2020 | 3,980 | 10.2 | 1,156 | 1,241 | 1,013 |
| 2021 | 4,513 | 11.6 | 1,030 | 1,441 | 1,179 |
| 2022 | 4,539 | 11.6 | 1,073 | 1,246 | 1,213 |
| 2023 | 4,061 | 10.4 | 984 | 1,151 | 1,106 |
Counties in California (58)
| County | Total Fatalities | Latest Year | Avg Annual | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES (37) | 6,321 | 807 | 702.3 | ↑ increasing |
| SAN BERNARDINO (71) | 2,891 | 378 | 321.2 | ↑ increasing |
| RIVERSIDE (65) | 2,529 | 330 | 281.0 | ↑ increasing |
| SAN DIEGO (73) | 2,176 | 278 | 241.8 | ↑ increasing |
| ORANGE (59) | 1,693 | 218 | 188.1 | ↑ increasing |
| KERN (29) | 1,469 | 176 | 163.2 | ↑ increasing |
| SACRAMENTO (67) | 1,457 | 204 | 161.9 | ↑ increasing |
| FRESNO (19) | 1,303 | 151 | 144.8 | ↑ increasing |
| SAN JOAQUIN (77) | 1,001 | 136 | 111.2 | ↑ increasing |
| SANTA CLARA (85) | 959 | 122 | 106.6 | ↑ increasing |
| ALAMEDA (1) | 764 | 88 | 84.9 | ↑ increasing |
| STANISLAUS (99) | 690 | 86 | 76.7 | ↑ increasing |
| CONTRA COSTA (13) | 666 | 95 | 74.0 | ↑ increasing |
| TULARE (107) | 646 | 82 | 71.8 | ↑ increasing |
| MERCED (47) | 494 | 59 | 54.9 | ↑ increasing |
| VENTURA (111) | 461 | 71 | 51.2 | ↑ increasing |
| MONTEREY (53) | 387 | 39 | 43.0 | ↑ increasing |
| SOLANO (95) | 378 | 43 | 42.0 | ↑ increasing |
| BUTTE (7) | 315 | 35 | 35.0 | ↑ increasing |
| SONOMA (97) | 314 | 29 | 34.9 | ↑ increasing |
Showing top 20 of 58 counties by total fatalities.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Data covers 2015-2023. Fatality rates are per 100,000 population. This information is for research and informational purposes only.