Table of Contents
Overview
The number and types of motor vehicle crash deaths differ widely among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. A state’s population has an obvious effect on the number of motor vehicle deaths. Fatality rates per capita and per vehicle miles traveled provide a way of examining motor vehicle deaths relative to the population and amount of driving. However, many factors can affect these rates, including types of vehicles driven, travel speeds, rates of licensure, state traffic laws, emergency care capabilities, weather, and topography.
The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
Posted December 2019.
Fatal crash totals
There were 33,654 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2018 in which 36,560 deaths occurred. This resulted in 11.2 deaths per 100,000 people and 1.13 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. The fatality rate per 100,000 people ranged from 4.4 in the District of Columbia to 22.2 in Mississippi. The death rate per 100 million miles traveled ranged from 0.54 in Massachusetts to 1.83 in South Carolina.
Population, fatal motor vehicle crashes, motor vehicle crash deaths and motor vehicle crash death rates per state, 2018 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Population | Vehicle miles traveled (millions) | Fatal crashes | Deaths | Deaths per 100,000 population | Deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled |
Alabama | 4,887,871 | 71,167 | 876 | 953 | 19.5 | 1.34 |
Alaska | 737,438 | 5,487 | 69 | 80 | 10.8 | 1.46 |
Arizona | 7,171,646 | 66,145 | 916 | 1,010 | 14.1 | 1.53 |
Arkansas | 3,013,825 | 36,675 | 472 | 516 | 17.1 | 1.41 |
California | 39,557,045 | 348,796 | 3,259 | 3,563 | 9.0 | 1.02 |
Colorado | 5,695,564 | 53,954 | 588 | 632 | 11.1 | 1.17 |
Connecticut | 3,572,665 | 31,596 | 276 | 294 | 8.2 | 0.93 |
Delaware | 967,171 | 10,179 | 104 | 111 | 11.5 | 1.09 |
District of Columbia | 702,455 | 3,691 | 30 | 31 | 4.4 | 0.84 |
Florida | 21,299,325 | 221,816 | 2,915 | 3,133 | 14.7 | 1.41 |
Georgia | 10,519,475 | 131,456 | 1,407 | 1,504 | 14.3 | 1.14 |
Hawaii | 1,420,491 | 10,887 | 110 | 117 | 8.2 | 1.07 |
Idaho | 1,754,208 | 17,709 | 212 | 231 | 13.2 | 1.30 |
Illinois | 12,741,080 | 107,954 | 948 | 1,031 | 8.1 | 0.96 |
Indiana | 6,691,878 | 81,529 | 774 | 858 | 12.8 | 1.05 |
Iowa | 3,156,145 | 33,282 | 291 | 318 | 10.1 | 0.96 |
Kansas | 2,911,505 | 32,190 | 366 | 404 | 13.9 | 1.26 |
Kentucky | 4,468,402 | 49,544 | 664 | 724 | 16.2 | 1.46 |
Louisiana | 4,659,978 | 50,045 | 716 | 768 | 16.5 | 1.53 |
Maine | 1,338,404 | 14,784 | 128 | 137 | 10.2 | 0.93 |
Maryland | 6,042,718 | 59,775 | 474 | 501 | 8.3 | 0.84 |
Massachusetts | 6,902,149 | 66,772 | 343 | 360 | 5.2 | 0.54 |
Michigan | 9,995,915 | 102,398 | 905 | 974 | 9.7 | 0.95 |
Minnesota | 5,611,179 | 60,438 | 349 | 381 | 6.8 | 0.63 |
Mississippi | 2,986,530 | 40,730 | 597 | 664 | 22.2 | 1.63 |
Missouri | 6,126,452 | 76,595 | 848 | 921 | 15.0 | 1.20 |
Montana | 1,062,305 | 12,700 | 168 | 182 | 17.1 | 1.43 |
Nebraska | 1,929,268 | 20,975 | 201 | 230 | 11.9 | 1.10 |
Nevada | 3,034,392 | 28,319 | 300 | 330 | 10.9 | 1.17 |
New Hampshire | 1,356,458 | 13,776 | 134 | 147 | 10.8 | 1.07 |
New Jersey | 8,908,520 | 77,539 | 525 | 564 | 6.3 | 0.73 |
New Mexico | 2,095,428 | 27,288 | 350 | 391 | 18.7 | 1.43 |
New York | 19,542,209 | 123,510 | 889 | 943 | 4.8 | 0.76 |
North Carolina | 10,383,620 | 121,127 | 1,321 | 1,437 | 13.8 | 1.19 |
North Dakota | 760,077 | 9,856 | 95 | 105 | 13.8 | 1.07 |
Ohio | 11,689,442 | 114,474 | 996 | 1,068 | 9.1 | 0.93 |
Oklahoma | 3,943,079 | 45,433 | 603 | 655 | 16.6 | 1.44 |
Oregon | 4,190,713 | 36,848 | 450 | 506 | 12.1 | 1.37 |
Pennsylvania | 12,807,060 | 102,109 | 1,103 | 1,190 | 9.3 | 1.17 |
Rhode Island | 1,057,315 | 8,009 | 56 | 59 | 5.6 | 0.74 |
South Carolina | 5,084,127 | 56,801 | 970 | 1,037 | 20.4 | 1.83 |
South Dakota | 882,235 | 9,719 | 110 | 130 | 14.7 | 1.34 |
Tennessee | 6,770,010 | 81,321 | 974 | 1,041 | 15.4 | 1.28 |
Texas | 28,701,845 | 282,037 | 3,305 | 3,642 | 12.7 | 1.29 |
Utah | 3,161,105 | 32,069 | 237 | 260 | 8.2 | 0.81 |
Vermont | 626,299 | 7,346 | 60 | 68 | 10.9 | 0.93 |
Virginia | 8,517,685 | 85,336 | 778 | 820 | 9.6 | 0.96 |
Washington | 7,535,591 | 62,367 | 497 | 546 | 7.2 | 0.88 |
West Virginia | 1,805,832 | 19,447 | 265 | 294 | 16.3 | 1.51 |
Wisconsin | 5,813,568 | 65,885 | 530 | 588 | 10.1 | 0.89 |
Wyoming | 577,737 | 10,438 | 100 | 111 | 19.2 | 1.06 |
U.S. total | 327,167,434 | 3,240,323 | 33,654 | 36,560 | 11.2 | 1.13 |
Deaths by road user
In 2018, the types of motor vehicle crash deaths varied across states. For example, Wyoming had the highest percentage of deaths involving SUV and pickup occupants (49 percent) and a relatively low percentage of deaths involving car occupants (23 percent). In contrast, Vermont had the highest percentage of deaths involving car occupants (49 percent) and a relatively low percentage of deaths involving SUV and pickup occupants (26 percent). Hawaii reported relatively low proportions of fatalities for both cars (15 percent) and SUVs and pickups (15 percent), but a high percentage of motorcyclist deaths (29 percent) and the highest percentage of pedestrian deaths (36 percent). The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of crash deaths involving bicyclists (10 percent) and a high percentage involving pedestrians (35 percent) and motorcyclists (26 percent).
Motor vehicle crash deaths by road user type and state, 2018 | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Car occupants | Pickup and SUV occupants | Large truck occupants | Motorcyclists | Pedestrians | Bicyclists | Total* | |||||||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Alabama | 415 | 44 | 305 | 32 | 17 | 2 | 82 | 9 | 107 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 953 | 100 |
Alaska | 22 | 28 | 25 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 100 |
Arizona | 269 | 27 | 217 | 21 | 14 | 1 | 149 | 15 | 237 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 1,010 | 100 |
Arkansas | 163 | 32 | 187 | 36 | 24 | 5 | 66 | 13 | 62 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 516 | 100 |
California | 1,248 | 35 | 654 | 18 | 38 | 1 | 488 | 14 | 893 | 25 | 154 | 4 | 3,563 | 100 |
Colorado | 186 | 29 | 210 | 33 | 12 | 2 | 103 | 16 | 89 | 14 | 22 | 3 | 632 | 100 |
Connecticut | 125 | 43 | 49 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 49 | 17 | 60 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 294 | 100 |
Delaware | 39 | 35 | 24 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 15 | 23 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 111 | 100 |
District of Columbia | 7 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 11 | 35 | 3 | 10 | 31 | 100 |
Florida | 1,009 | 32 | 562 | 18 | 42 | 1 | 574 | 18 | 704 | 22 | 160 | 5 | 3,133 | 100 |
Georgia | 550 | 37 | 426 | 28 | 31 | 2 | 154 | 10 | 261 | 17 | 30 | 2 | 1,504 | 100 |
Hawaii | 17 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 29 | 42 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 117 | 100 |
Idaho | 76 | 33 | 72 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 38 | 16 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 231 | 100 |
Illinois | 419 | 41 | 241 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 119 | 12 | 165 | 16 | 24 | 2 | 1,031 | 100 |
Indiana | 357 | 42 | 198 | 23 | 19 | 2 | 117 | 14 | 114 | 13 | 22 | 3 | 858 | 100 |
Iowa | 128 | 40 | 92 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 43 | 14 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 318 | 100 |
Kansas | 139 | 34 | 148 | 37 | 11 | 3 | 64 | 16 | 29 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 404 | 100 |
Kentucky | 298 | 41 | 214 | 30 | 14 | 2 | 95 | 13 | 73 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 724 | 100 |
Louisiana | 248 | 32 | 214 | 28 | 10 | 1 | 79 | 10 | 164 | 21 | 28 | 4 | 768 | 100 |
Maine | 60 | 44 | 40 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 137 | 100 |
Maryland | 196 | 39 | 95 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 62 | 12 | 128 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 501 | 100 |
Massachusetts | 129 | 36 | 75 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 59 | 16 | 78 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 360 | 100 |
Michigan | 377 | 39 | 250 | 26 | 8 | 1 | 143 | 15 | 142 | 15 | 21 | 2 | 974 | 100 |
Minnesota | 144 | 38 | 105 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 59 | 15 | 42 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 381 | 100 |
Mississippi | 262 | 39 | 228 | 34 | 16 | 2 | 41 | 6 | 88 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 664 | 100 |
Missouri | 367 | 40 | 286 | 31 | 22 | 2 | 113 | 12 | 95 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 921 | 100 |
Montana | 48 | 26 | 85 | 47 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 12 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 182 | 100 |
Nebraska | 88 | 38 | 77 | 33 | 11 | 5 | 23 | 10 | 24 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 230 | 100 |
Nevada | 103 | 31 | 67 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 59 | 18 | 79 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 330 | 100 |
New Hampshire | 52 | 35 | 47 | 32 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 147 | 100 |
New Jersey | 205 | 36 | 84 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 53 | 9 | 173 | 31 | 18 | 3 | 564 | 100 |
New Mexico | 112 | 29 | 114 | 29 | 8 | 2 | 45 | 12 | 83 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 391 | 100 |
New York | 301 | 32 | 163 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 149 | 16 | 262 | 28 | 29 | 3 | 943 | 100 |
North Carolina | 567 | 39 | 372 | 26 | 21 | 1 | 191 | 13 | 225 | 16 | 18 | 1 | 1,437 | 100 |
North Dakota | 25 | 24 | 49 | 47 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 105 | 100 |
Ohio | 469 | 44 | 251 | 24 | 23 | 2 | 145 | 14 | 127 | 12 | 22 | 2 | 1,068 | 100 |
Oklahoma | 236 | 36 | 207 | 32 | 25 | 4 | 91 | 14 | 60 | 9 | 16 | 2 | 655 | 100 |
Oregon | 156 | 31 | 129 | 25 | 11 | 2 | 78 | 15 | 80 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 506 | 100 |
Pennsylvania | 469 | 39 | 273 | 23 | 14 | 1 | 165 | 14 | 197 | 17 | 18 | 2 | 1,190 | 100 |
Rhode Island | 18 | 31 | 12 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 31 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 59 | 100 |
South Carolina | 389 | 38 | 285 | 27 | 16 | 2 | 141 | 14 | 165 | 16 | 23 | 2 | 1,037 | 100 |
South Dakota | 50 | 38 | 44 | 34 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 130 | 100 |
Tennessee | 402 | 39 | 284 | 27 | 17 | 2 | 168 | 16 | 136 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 1,041 | 100 |
Texas | 1,160 | 32 | 1,191 | 33 | 98 | 3 | 416 | 11 | 612 | 17 | 69 | 2 | 3,642 | 100 |
Utah | 86 | 33 | 69 | 27 | 8 | 3 | 47 | 18 | 36 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 260 | 100 |
Vermont | 33 | 49 | 18 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 100 |
Virginia | 349 | 43 | 200 | 24 | 22 | 3 | 100 | 12 | 118 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 820 | 100 |
Washington | 186 | 34 | 139 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 80 | 15 | 102 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 546 | 100 |
West Virginia | 107 | 36 | 90 | 31 | 10 | 3 | 39 | 13 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 294 | 100 |
Wisconsin | 251 | 43 | 164 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 83 | 14 | 56 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 588 | 100 |
Wyoming | 26 | 23 | 54 | 49 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 111 | 100 |
U.S. total | 13,138 | 36 | 9,404 | 26 | 678 | 2 | 4,985 | 14 | 6,283 | 17 | 854 | 2 | 36,560 | 100 |
Crash types
Nationwide, 53 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths in 2018 occurred in single-vehicle crashes. Montana had the highest percentage of deaths in single-vehicle crashes (71 percent), while Nebraska had the highest percentage of deaths in multiple-vehicle crashes (57 percent).
Deaths by crash type and state, 2018 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Single-vehicle | Multiple-vehicle | All crashes | |||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
Alabama | 514 | 54 | 439 | 46 | 953 | 100 |
Alaska | 45 | 56 | 35 | 44 | 80 | 100 |
Arizona | 581 | 58 | 429 | 42 | 1,010 | 100 |
Arkansas | 285 | 55 | 231 | 45 | 516 | 100 |
California | 1,956 | 55 | 1,607 | 45 | 3,563 | 100 |
Colorado | 346 | 55 | 286 | 45 | 632 | 100 |
Connecticut | 166 | 56 | 128 | 44 | 294 | 100 |
Delaware | 55 | 50 | 56 | 50 | 111 | 100 |
District of Columbia | 20 | 65 | 11 | 35 | 31 | 100 |
Florida | 1,621 | 52 | 1,512 | 48 | 3,133 | 100 |
Georgia | 831 | 55 | 673 | 45 | 1,504 | 100 |
Hawaii | 72 | 62 | 45 | 38 | 117 | 100 |
Idaho | 129 | 56 | 102 | 44 | 231 | 100 |
Illinois | 528 | 51 | 503 | 49 | 1,031 | 100 |
Indiana | 427 | 50 | 431 | 50 | 858 | 100 |
Iowa | 143 | 45 | 175 | 55 | 318 | 100 |
Kansas | 201 | 50 | 203 | 50 | 404 | 100 |
Kentucky | 378 | 52 | 346 | 48 | 724 | 100 |
Louisiana | 448 | 58 | 320 | 42 | 768 | 100 |
Maine | 83 | 61 | 54 | 39 | 137 | 100 |
Maryland | 260 | 52 | 241 | 48 | 501 | 100 |
Massachusetts | 214 | 59 | 146 | 41 | 360 | 100 |
Michigan | 460 | 47 | 514 | 53 | 974 | 100 |
Minnesota | 188 | 49 | 193 | 51 | 381 | 100 |
Mississippi | 367 | 55 | 297 | 45 | 664 | 100 |
Missouri | 478 | 52 | 443 | 48 | 921 | 100 |
Montana | 129 | 71 | 53 | 29 | 182 | 100 |
Nebraska | 98 | 43 | 132 | 57 | 230 | 100 |
Nevada | 173 | 52 | 157 | 48 | 330 | 100 |
New Hampshire | 87 | 59 | 60 | 41 | 147 | 100 |
New Jersey | 309 | 55 | 255 | 45 | 564 | 100 |
New Mexico | 220 | 56 | 171 | 44 | 391 | 100 |
New York | 562 | 60 | 381 | 40 | 943 | 100 |
North Carolina | 745 | 52 | 692 | 48 | 1,437 | 100 |
North Dakota | 53 | 50 | 52 | 50 | 105 | 100 |
Ohio | 535 | 50 | 533 | 50 | 1,068 | 100 |
Oklahoma | 300 | 46 | 355 | 54 | 655 | 100 |
Oregon | 275 | 54 | 231 | 46 | 506 | 100 |
Pennsylvania | 629 | 53 | 561 | 47 | 1,190 | 100 |
Rhode Island | 36 | 61 | 23 | 39 | 59 | 100 |
South Carolina | 573 | 55 | 464 | 45 | 1,037 | 100 |
South Dakota | 82 | 63 | 48 | 37 | 130 | 100 |
Tennessee | 543 | 52 | 498 | 48 | 1,041 | 100 |
Texas | 1,840 | 51 | 1,802 | 49 | 3,642 | 100 |
Utah | 137 | 53 | 123 | 47 | 260 | 100 |
Vermont | 37 | 54 | 31 | 46 | 68 | 100 |
Virginia | 470 | 57 | 350 | 43 | 820 | 100 |
Washington | 325 | 60 | 221 | 40 | 546 | 100 |
West Virginia | 154 | 52 | 140 | 48 | 294 | 100 |
Wisconsin | 312 | 53 | 276 | 47 | 588 | 100 |
Wyoming | 61 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 111 | 100 |
U.S. total | 19,481 | 53 | 17,079 | 47 | 36,560 | 100 |
Alcohol involvement
Some states report blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for only a small percentage of passenger vehicle drivers. If BAC is missing for a driver, it is estimated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s multiple imputation model.
However, BAC information is most precise in states that report a high percentage of crashes where BAC information is reported. In the following table, estimated percentages of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs at or above 0.08 percent are shown only for states in which BAC reporting for fatally injured drivers was 70 percent or higher. Estimated percentages are based on known BAC when available and imputed BAC for the remaining drivers.
For the nation in 2018, BAC was reported for 65 percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers. Reporting rates varied substantially, from a high of 100 percent (District of Columbia) to a low of 26 percent (Indiana).
Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia had BAC reporting rates of at least 70 percent. Among these states, Montana had the highest estimated percentage of fatally injured drivers with BACs of 0.08 percent or higher (45 percent) and West Virginia had the lowest (12 percent).
Estimated number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BAC ≥ 0.08 percent by state, 2018 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Total drivers killed | Drivers killed with known BAC results | Estimated drivers killed with BACs ≥ 0.08 | ||
Number | Number | % | Number | % | |
Alabama | 566 | 325 | 57 | ‡ | ‡ |
Alaska | 32 | 20 | 63 | ‡ | ‡ |
Arizona | 353 | 219 | 62 | ‡ | ‡ |
Arkansas | 280 | 202 | 72 | 73 | 26 |
California | 1,369 | 896 | 65 | ‡ | ‡ |
Colorado | 286 | 252 | 88 | 96 | 34 |
Connecticut | 127 | 62 | 49 | ‡ | ‡ |
Delaware | 46 | 37 | 80 | 16 | 34 |
District of Columbia | 5 | 5 | 100 | 1 | 20 |
Florida | 1,162 | 687 | 59 | ‡ | ‡ |
Georgia | 754 | 397 | 53 | ‡ | ‡ |
Hawaii | 26 | 21 | 81 | 9 | 34 |
Idaho | 114 | 80 | 70 | 29 | 26 |
Illinois | 509 | 435 | 85 | 151 | 30 |
Indiana | 435 | 115 | 26 | ‡ | ‡ |
Iowa | 180 | 107 | 59 | ‡ | ‡ |
Kansas | 229 | 70 | 31 | ‡ | ‡ |
Kentucky | 401 | 286 | 71 | 74 | 18 |
Louisiana | 363 | 312 | 86 | 108 | 30 |
Maine | 78 | 64 | 82 | 18 | 23 |
Maryland | 210 | 159 | 76 | 48 | 23 |
Massachusetts | 169 | 153 | 91 | 56 | 33 |
Michigan | 483 | 257 | 53 | ‡ | ‡ |
Minnesota | 193 | 169 | 88 | 56 | 29 |
Mississippi | 378 | 177 | 47 | ‡ | ‡ |
Missouri | 505 | 389 | 77 | 124 | 25 |
Montana | 108 | 94 | 87 | 48 | 45 |
Nebraska | 115 | 88 | 77 | 33 | 28 |
Nevada | 134 | 93 | 69 | ‡ | ‡ |
New Hampshire | 80 | 75 | 94 | 22 | 27 |
New Jersey | 210 | 171 | 81 | 56 | 27 |
New Mexico | 158 | 113 | 72 | 47 | 30 |
New York | 359 | 239 | 67 | ‡ | ‡ |
North Carolina | 724 | 354 | 49 | ‡ | ‡ |
North Dakota | 56 | 47 | 84 | 17 | 30 |
Ohio | 569 | 464 | 82 | 147 | 26 |
Oklahoma | 351 | 318 | 91 | 69 | 20 |
Oregon | 199 | 140 | 70 | 54 | 27 |
Pennsylvania | 584 | 302 | 52 | ‡ | ‡ |
Rhode Island | 21 | 17 | 81 | 7 | 35 |
South Carolina | 542 | 384 | 71 | 163 | 30 |
South Dakota | 68 | 60 | 88 | 25 | 37 |
Tennessee | 518 | 242 | 47 | ‡ | ‡ |
Texas | 1,760 | 883 | 50 | ‡ | ‡ |
Utah | 110 | 96 | 87 | 28 | 25 |
Vermont | 37 | 33 | 89 | 10 | 27 |
Virginia | 437 | 377 | 86 | 135 | 31 |
Washington | 237 | 193 | 81 | 73 | 31 |
West Virginia | 148 | 130 | 88 | 18 | 12 |
Wisconsin | 328 | 275 | 84 | 116 | 35 |
Wyoming | 62 | 25 | 40 | ‡ | ‡ |
U.S. total | 17,168 | 11,109 | 65 | 4,946 | 29 |
Restraint use
Based on daytime observational surveys conducted by the states, the nationwide rate of seat belt use among front seat passenger vehicle occupants in 2018 was 90 percent. The state with the highest observed seat belt use for front seat occupants was Hawaii, at 98 percent, while the lowest was New Hampshire at 76 percent.
Rates of restraint use among fatally injured motor vehicle occupants will be lower than the overall observed restraint use rate because unrestrained occupants are more likely than restrained ones to be fatally injured in a crash. Restrained fatally injured occupants include occupants in child safety seats and occupants restrained by seat belts. In 2018, fatally injured occupants were approximately half as likely to have been restrained compared with the nationwide average. California had the highest restraint use percentage among fatally injured occupants at 61 percent. New Hampshire had the lowest restraint use among fatally injured occupants at just 28 percent.
Rates of observed daytime front-seat belt use and number and percent of fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants by restraint use and state, 2018 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State and percent of observed seat belt use | Restrained fatally injured occupants | Unrestrained fatally injured occupants | Unknown restraint status of fatally injured occupants | Total fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants | ||||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | ||
Alabama | 92 | 301 | 42 | 359 | 50 | 63 | 9 | 723 |
Alaska | 92 | 20 | 43 | 22 | 47 | 5 | 11 | 47 |
Arizona | 86 | 197 | 39 | 235 | 47 | 69 | 14 | 501 |
Arkansas | 78 | 144 | 41 | 178 | 51 | 30 | 9 | 352 |
California | 96 | 1,170 | 61 | 594 | 31 | 160 | 8 | 1,924 |
Colorado | 86 | 172 | 43 | 216 | 54 | 15 | 4 | 403 |
Connecticut | 92 | 76 | 43 | 69 | 39 | 32 | 18 | 177 |
Delaware | 92 | 29 | 46 | 33 | 52 | 1 | 2 | 63 |
District of Columbia | 95 | 3 | 38 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 50 | 8 |
Florida | 91 | 844 | 53 | 703 | 44 | 45 | 3 | 1,592 |
Georgia | 96 | 448 | 45 | 442 | 44 | 105 | 11 | 995 |
Hawaii | 98 | 12 | 33 | 15 | 42 | 9 | 25 | 36 |
Idaho | 85 | 59 | 38 | 82 | 53 | 13 | 8 | 154 |
Illinois | 95 | 330 | 49 | 249 | 37 | 96 | 14 | 675 |
Indiana | 93 | 272 | 48 | 214 | 38 | 79 | 14 | 565 |
Iowa | 94 | 120 | 54 | 78 | 35 | 26 | 12 | 224 |
Kansas | 84 | 133 | 46 | 130 | 45 | 25 | 9 | 288 |
Kentucky | 90 | 236 | 46 | 281 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 517 |
Louisiana | 87 | 212 | 45 | 223 | 47 | 36 | 8 | 471 |
Maine | 89 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 101 |
Maryland | 90 | 159 | 54 | 104 | 36 | 29 | 10 | 292 |
Massachusetts | 82 | 65 | 31 | 103 | 49 | 42 | 20 | 210 |
Michigan | 93 | 354 | 55 | 182 | 28 | 104 | 16 | 640 |
Minnesota | 92 | 123 | 48 | 84 | 33 | 47 | 19 | 254 |
Mississippi | 80 | 208 | 42 | 281 | 57 | 5 | 1 | 494 |
Missouri | 87 | 233 | 35 | 385 | 58 | 46 | 7 | 664 |
Montana | 87 | 45 | 33 | 87 | 64 | 3 | 2 | 135 |
Nebraska | 86 | 57 | 35 | 88 | 53 | 20 | 12 | 165 |
Nevada | 92 | 89 | 51 | 77 | 45 | 7 | 4 | 173 |
New Hampshire | 76 | 29 | 28 | 71 | 70 | 2 | 2 | 102 |
New Jersey | 95 | 159 | 53 | 126 | 42 | 13 | 4 | 298 |
New Mexico | 90 | 90 | 39 | 116 | 51 | 23 | 10 | 229 |
New York | 93 | 259 | 55 | 153 | 33 | 57 | 12 | 469 |
North Carolina | 91 | 522 | 54 | 395 | 41 | 44 | 5 | 961 |
North Dakota | 83 | 29 | 39 | 37 | 49 | 9 | 12 | 75 |
Ohio | 85 | 321 | 44 | 334 | 46 | 77 | 11 | 732 |
Oklahoma | 86 | 205 | 46 | 209 | 46 | 36 | 8 | 450 |
Oregon | 96 | 156 | 54 | 76 | 26 | 57 | 20 | 289 |
Pennsylvania | 89 | 266 | 35 | 386 | 51 | 104 | 14 | 756 |
Rhode Island | 89 | 13 | 43 | 13 | 43 | 4 | 13 | 30 |
South Carolina | 90 | 318 | 47 | 332 | 49 | 33 | 5 | 683 |
South Dakota | 79 | 29 | 31 | 60 | 63 | 6 | 6 | 95 |
Tennessee | 91 | 345 | 50 | 293 | 42 | 52 | 8 | 690 |
Texas | 91 | 1,241 | 52 | 946 | 40 | 200 | 8 | 2,387 |
Utah | 89 | 87 | 55 | 50 | 32 | 20 | 13 | 157 |
Vermont | 90 | 20 | 39 | 29 | 57 | 2 | 4 | 51 |
Virginia | 84 | 255 | 46 | 296 | 53 | 6 | 1 | 557 |
Washington | 93 | 186 | 56 | 109 | 33 | 39 | 12 | 334 |
West Virginia | 91 | 94 | 47 | 72 | 36 | 33 | 17 | 199 |
Wisconsin | 89 | 204 | 48 | 158 | 38 | 59 | 14 | 421 |
Wyoming | 86 | 33 | 40 | 43 | 52 | 7 | 8 | 83 |
U.S. total | 90 | 11,023 | 48 | 9,869 | 43 | 1,999 | 9 | 22,891 |
Rural versus urban
Nationwide, 45 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths in 2018 occurred in rural areas. The states with the highest percentage of crash deaths on rural roads were South Dakota (90 percent), Vermont (88 percent), and North Dakota (87 percent). The states with the lowest percentage were New Jersey (8 percent) Massachusetts (10 percent), and Connecticut (13 percent). The District of Columbia had 0 crash deaths in rural areas because its entirety is coded as an urban area.
Number and percent of motor vehicle crash deaths by land use and state, 2018 | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Urban | Rural | Unknown | Total | |||
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | |
Alabama | 412 | 43 | 541 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 953 |
Alaska | 39 | 49 | 41 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
Arizona | 680 | 67 | 318 | 31 | 12 | 1 | 1,010 |
Arkansas | 210 | 41 | 306 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 516 |
California | 2,490 | 70 | 1,072 | 30 | 1 | <1 | 3,563 |
Colorado | 373 | 59 | 259 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 632 |
Connecticut | 252 | 86 | 39 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 294 |
Delaware | 57 | 51 | 54 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 111 |
District of Columbia | 31 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
Florida | 1,860 | 59 | 724 | 23 | 549 | 18 | 3,133 |
Georgia | 996 | 66 | 508 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 1,504 |
Hawaii | 91 | 78 | 26 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 117 |
Idaho | 63 | 27 | 168 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 231 |
Illinois | 645 | 63 | 386 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 1,031 |
Indiana | 333 | 39 | 524 | 61 | 1 | <1 | 858 |
Iowa | 64 | 20 | 254 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 318 |
Kansas | 95 | 24 | 308 | 76 | 1 | <1 | 404 |
Kentucky | 208 | 29 | 515 | 71 | 1 | <1 | 724 |
Louisiana | 463 | 60 | 304 | 40 | 1 | <1 | 768 |
Maine | 19 | 14 | 117 | 85 | 1 | 1 | 137 |
Maryland | 403 | 80 | 90 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 501 |
Massachusetts | 323 | 90 | 36 | 10 | 1 | <1 | 360 |
Michigan | 566 | 58 | 407 | 42 | 1 | <1 | 974 |
Minnesota | 160 | 42 | 218 | 57 | 3 | 1 | 381 |
Mississippi | 224 | 34 | 440 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 664 |
Missouri | 409 | 44 | 512 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 921 |
Montana | 28 | 15 | 154 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 182 |
Nebraska | 59 | 26 | 171 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 230 |
Nevada | 239 | 72 | 89 | 27 | 2 | 1 | 330 |
New Hampshire | 69 | 47 | 78 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 147 |
New Jersey | 509 | 90 | 45 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 564 |
New Mexico | 158 | 40 | 231 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 391 |
New York | 477 | 51 | 466 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 943 |
North Carolina | 593 | 41 | 843 | 59 | 1 | <1 | 1,437 |
North Dakota | 14 | 13 | 91 | 87 | 0 | 0 | 105 |
Ohio | 580 | 54 | 471 | 44 | 17 | 2 | 1,068 |
Oklahoma | 225 | 34 | 429 | 65 | 1 | <1 | 655 |
Oregon | 178 | 35 | 328 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 506 |
Pennsylvania | 660 | 55 | 524 | 44 | 6 | 1 | 1,190 |
Rhode Island | 43 | 73 | 15 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 59 |
South Carolina | 356 | 34 | 681 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 1,037 |
South Dakota | 13 | 10 | 117 | 90 | 0 | 0 | 130 |
Tennessee | 570 | 55 | 471 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 1,041 |
Texas | 2,110 | 58 | 1,520 | 42 | 12 | <1 | 3,642 |
Utah | 165 | 63 | 93 | 36 | 2 | 1 | 260 |
Vermont | 7 | 10 | 60 | 88 | 1 | 1 | 68 |
Virginia | 346 | 42 | 471 | 57 | 3 | <1 | 820 |
Washington | 305 | 56 | 235 | 43 | 6 | 1 | 546 |
West Virginia | 116 | 39 | 178 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 294 |
Wisconsin | 199 | 34 | 386 | 66 | 3 | 1 | 588 |
Wyoming | 14 | 13 | 96 | 86 | 1 | 1 | 111 |
U.S. total | 19,499 | 53 | 16,410 | 45 | 651 | 2 | 36,560 |