What the Data Shows

Over the 2015-2023 reporting window, Connecticut recorded 2,673 total road fatalities across 8 counties, with 308 deaths logged in 2023. The state's fatality rate stands at 8.5 per 100,000 residents and 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, placing it at rank #42 of 51 US states when ordered from highest to lowest fatality rate. Against the national benchmark of 12.2 per 100K, Connecticut is 30.4% below average — a gap that matters for insurers, policymakers, and drivers calibrating risk.

Cause breakdowns from NHTSA FARS show alcohol-impaired crashes accounting for 32.0% of Connecticut's fatalities (856 deaths), speeding for 33.1% (885 deaths), and pedestrian incidents for 18.7% (500 deaths). The single largest contributing factor is nighttime, involved in 1,382 of the state's road deaths. Because these categories overlap — a nighttime fatal crash may also involve alcohol and speeding — the percentages are not additive but do reveal where enforcement and infrastructure investment can most reduce future deaths.

The trend signal is equally important: Connecticut's annual fatality count is decreasing, changing -15.8% across the reporting period. Annual deaths moved from 270 in 2015 to 308 in 2023. Rural roads account for 384 deaths versus 2,265 on urban roads, a pattern that typically reflects longer emergency-response distances and higher travel speeds outside metro areas. Readers should treat this as descriptive data — not a ranking of driver quality — and always cross-reference the underlying FARS release for year-specific context.