Introduction
2024 marks the third consecutive decrease in deaths. Deaths decreased 4.4% in 2024, following a 3% drop in 2023 and a 2% decline in 2022. This improvement is in contrast to the 20% increase in deaths experienced from 2019 to 2021. In 2024, 42,789 people died in motor-vehicle crashes compared to 44,762 in 2023.
Between 1913 and 2024, motor-vehicle deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles decreased 96%, from 33 to 1.44, respectively. In 1913, only 1.3 million vehicles were registered, and 4,200 people died on the road. In 2023, 297.5 million vehicles were registered, and 42,789 people died on the road.
In 2024 (compared to 2023), miles traveled increased by 1.4%, registered vehicles increased by 4.5%, and the population grew by 1.6%. As a result, the mileage death rate decreased by 5.8%, the vehicle death rate decreased by 8.3%, and the population death rate decreased by 5.9%.
Medically consulted injuries in motor-vehicle incidents totaled 4.9 million in 2024, and total motor-vehicle injury costs were estimated at $559.3 billion. Costs include wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, motor-vehicle property damage, and employer costs.
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- Data Table
Compared to 2015, 2024 motor-vehicle deaths increased by 13%, while the mileage death rate increased by 7% and the vehicle registration death rate increased by 1%.
2024 Motor-vehicle Crash Highlights
| Deaths | 42,789 |
| Medically consulted injuries | 4.9 million |
| Cost | $559.3 billion |
| Motor-vehicle mileage | 3,294 billion |
| Registered vehicles in the United States | 298 million |
| Licensed drivers in the United States | 241 million |
| Death rate per 100 million vehicle miles | 1.30 |
| Death rate per 10,000 registered vehicles | 1.44 |
| Death rate per 100,000 population | 12.60 |
National Safety Council (NSC) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) count motor-vehicle crash deaths using somewhat different criteria. NSC counts total motor-vehicle-related fatalities (both traffic and non-traffic) that occur within one year of the crash. This is consistent with the data compiled from death certificates by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). NSC uses NCHS death certificate data, less intentional fatalities, as the final count of unintentional deaths from all causes.
Provided below is a summary of NSC and NHTSA traffic crash data for 2024:
Motor-vehicle Crash Outcomes, United States, 2024
NSC estimates:
| Severity | Deaths or injuries | Crashes | Drivers (vehicles) involved |
| Total Motor Vehicle (deaths within 1 year) | 42,789 | 39,600 | 60,700 |
| Medically consulted injury | 4,900,000 | 3,400,000 | 6,200,000 |
| Property damage (including unreported) and non-disabling injury | 9,700,000 | 17,000,000 | |
| Total | 13,100,000 | 23,300,000 |
NHTSA estimates:
| Severity | Deaths or injuries | Crashes | Drivers (vehicles) involved |
| Traffic (deaths within 30 days) | 39,254 | 36,297 | 55,620 |
| Injury (disabling and non-disabling) | 2,422,000 | 1,676,700 | 3,074,500 |
| Police-reported property damage | 4,467,000 | 7,815,000 | |
| Total | 6,180,000 | 10,945,000 |
Source: NHTSA for deaths, injuries, and crashes in bottom half of table. All other figures are NSC estimates.