Deaths decreased even as mileage increased in the first half of 2026
The National Safety Council (NSC) estimate of motor-vehicle deaths in the first half of 2026 is 18,460, down 2% from the revised estimate of 18,846 in 2025. Mileage in the first half of 2026 increased 0.8% from 2025 and was up 1.6% from 2024. The estimated mileage death rate in the first half of 2026 is 1.12 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, down 3.4% from 1.16 in 2025 and down 10.4% compared to 2024.
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reports the official mortality estimates for the United States and is used as a comparison to judge the accuracy of NSC preliminary estimates. The publication of NCHS final mortality estimates generally lags about one year. The most recent NCHS final estimate shows 20,278 deaths occurring in the first half of 2024. This compares to the NSC initial estimate of 20,900 for the first half of 2024, with a difference of 3.1%. In addition, NCHS provisional estimates show 18,846 deaths in the first half of 2025. This 2025 provisional estimate compares to the NSC initial estimate of 18,720, with a difference of 0.7%.
Mileage source: Federal Highway Administration.
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