Data
Traffic deaths by state
How many people died in motor vehicle crashes in each state, from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Click a state for its accident laws.
By Serdar Arslan, editor · Last reviewed · How we research
Across the 50 states with 2024 figures, 39,207 people died in motor vehicle crashes. Texas recorded the most (4,160) and Rhode Island the fewest (52).
- 1Texas4,160
- 2California3,876
- 3Florida3,138
- 4North Carolina1,619
- 5Georgia1,403
- 6Arizona1,229
- 7Tennessee1,197
- 8Illinois1,177
- 9Ohio1,157
- 10Pennsylvania1,127
- 11New York1,101
- 12Michigan1,098
- 13South Carolina1,038
- 14Alabama962
- 15Missouri955
- 16Virginia917
- 17Indiana832
- 18Mississippi753
- 19Louisiana752
- 20Washington730
- 21Kentucky707
- 22Colorado689
- 23New Jersey670
- 24Oklahoma645
- 25Arkansas603
- 26Wisconsin595
- 27Maryland578
- 28Oregon538
- 29Minnesota477
- 30Nevada417
- 31New Mexico409
- 32Massachusetts363
- 33Iowa356
- 34Kansas339
- 35Connecticut310
- 36Utah277
- 37West Virginia256
- 38Nebraska251
- 39Idaho238
- 40Montana206
- 41Maine177
- 42South Dakota146
- 43New Hampshire133
- 44Delaware126
- 45Wyoming107
- 46Hawaii102
- 47North Dakota90
- 48Alaska70
- 49Vermont59
- 50Rhode Island52
What the numbers say alongside state law
We combined the crash counts with the legal rules we track for each state. This shows how many people die each year in states where a single rule decides who can recover and how fast they must act.
By fault rule
| Group | States | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Modified comparative fault (51% bar) | 26 | 20,940 |
| Pure comparative fault | 9 | 8,781 |
| Modified comparative fault (50% bar) | 10 | 5,264 |
| Contributory negligence | 4 | 4,076 |
| Slight/gross comparative negligence | 1 | 146 |
By insurance system
| Group | States | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| At-fault (tort) | 38 | 29,718 |
| No-fault | 9 | 6,985 |
| Choice no-fault | 3 | 2,504 |
By injury filing deadline
| Group | States | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years | 25 | 25,504 |
| 3 years | 17 | 10,172 |
| 4–6 years | 7 | 2,334 |
| 1 year | 1 | 1,197 |
The ten states with the most deaths account for 51% of the total listed here. 1 state with a one-year injury deadline recorded 1,197 deaths, so families there have the least time to act. In the 4 contributory-negligence states, where any share of fault can bar recovery, 4,076 people died.
How to read these numbers
These are total deaths, not rates. Large states naturally have more crashes, so a high total doesn't mean the roads are more dangerous per driver or per mile. NHTSA also publishes rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, which are better for comparing states. Figures are for 2024; a superscript marks states where the most recent verified year differs. Recent-year FARS counts can be revised as files are finalized.
Why this matters for accident claims
Fatal crashes lead to wrongful death claims, which have their own deadlines and rules about who can file. The fault rule also matters: in contributory-negligence states like North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Maryland, any fault by the injured person can bar recovery (contributory negligence). Read wrongful death claims or compare all state accident laws.