List of motor vehicle deaths in U.S. by year
Encyclopedia
This is a list of motor vehicle deaths in the United States by year. Of note is that in the two worst years on record, 1979 and 1980, the difference in the total number of deaths was only two. On average in 2009, 93 people were killed on the roadways of the U.S. each day.
The number of deaths – and deaths relative to the total population – have declined over the last two decades. From 1979 to 2005, the number of deaths per year decreased 14.97% while the number of deaths per capita decreased by 35.46%. Traffic fatalities in 2010 were the lowest in 62 years.
The number of deaths – and deaths relative to the total population – have declined over the last two decades. From 1979 to 2005, the number of deaths per year decreased 14.97% while the number of deaths per capita decreased by 35.46%. Traffic fatalities in 2010 were the lowest in 62 years.
| year | deaths | vehicle miles traveled (billions) | fatalities per 100 million v.m.t. | population | Fraction of population |
%change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 36 | 76,094,000 | 0.00000047 | NA | ||
| 1901 | 54 | 77,584,000 | 0.00000070 | 47.12% | ||
| 1902 | 79 | 79,163,000 | 0.00000100 | 43.38% | ||
| 1903 | 117 | 80,632,000 | 0.00000145 | 45.40% | ||
| 1904 | 172 | 82,166,000 | 0.00000209 | 44.26% | ||
| 1905 | 252 | 83,822,000 | 0.00000301 | 43.62% | ||
| 1906 | 338 | 85,450,000 | 0.00000396 | 31.57% | ||
| 1907 | 581 | 87,008,000 | 0.00000668 | 68.82% | ||
| 1908 | 751 | 88,710,000 | 0.00000847 | 26.78% | ||
| 1909 | 1,174 | 90,490,000 | 0.00001297 | 53.25% | ||
| 1910 | 1,599 | 92,407,000 | 0.00001730 | 33.38% | ||
| 1911 | 2,043 | 93,863,000 | 0.00002177 | 25.79% | ||
| 1912 | 2,968 | 95,335,000 | 0.00003113 | 43.03% | ||
| 1913 | 4,079 | 97,225,000 | 0.00004195 | 34.76% | ||
| 1914 | 4,468 | 99,111,000 | 0.00004508 | 7.45% | ||
| 1915 | 6,779 | 100,546,000 | 0.00006742 | 49.56% | ||
| 1916 | 7,766 | 101,961,000 | 0.00007617 | 12.97% | ||
| 1917 | 9,630 | 103,268,000 | 0.00009325 | 22.43% | ||
| 1918 | 10,390 | 103,208,000 | 0.00010067 | 7.95% | ||
| 1919 | 10,896 | 104,514,000 | 0.00010425 | 3.56% | ||
| 1920 | 12,155 | 106,461,000 | 0.00011417 | 9.51% | ||
| 1921 | 13,253 | 55.03 | 24.09 | 108,538,000 | 0.00012210 | 6.95% |
| 1922 | 14,859 | 67.70 | 21.95 | 110,049,000 | 0.00013502 | 10.58% |
| 1923 | 17,870 | 85.00 | 21.03 | 111,947,000 | 0.00015963 | 18.22% |
| 1924 | 18,400 | 104.84 | 17.55 | 114,109,000 | 0.00016125 | 1.01% |
| 1925 | 20,771 | 122.35 | 16.98 | 115,829,000 | 0.00017932 | 11.21% |
| 1926 | 22,194 | 140.74 | 15.77 | 117,397,000 | 0.00018905 | 5.42% |
| 1927 | 24,470 | 158.45 | 15.44 | 119,035,000 | 0.00020557 | 8.74% |
| 1928 | 26,557 | 172.86 | 15.36 | 120,509,000 | 0.00022037 | 7.20% |
| 1929 | 29,592 | 197.72 | 14.97 | 121,767,000 | 0.00024302 | 10.28% |
| 1930 | 31,204 | 206.32 | 15.12 | 123,076,741 | 0.00025353 | 4.33% |
| 1931 | 31,963 | 216.15 | 14.79 | 124,039,648 | 0.00025768 | 1.64% |
| 1932 | 27,979 | 200.52 | 13.95 | 124,840,471 | 0.00022412 | -13.03% |
| 1933 | 29,746 | 200.64 | 14.83 | 125,578,763 | 0.00023687 | 5.69% |
| 1934 | 34,240 | 215.56 | 15.88 | 126,373,773 | 0.00027094 | 14.38% |
| 1935 | 34,494 | 228.57 | 15.09 | 127,250,232 | 0.00027107 | 0.05% |
| 1936 | 36,126 | 252.13 | 14.33 | 128,053,180 | 0.00028212 | 4.07% |
| 1937 | 37,819 | 270.11 | 14.00 | 128,824,829 | 0.00029357 | 4.06% |
| 1938 | 31,083 | 271.18 | 11.46 | 129,824,939 | 0.00023942 | -18.44% |
| 1939 | 30,895 | 285.40 | 10.83 | 130,879,718 | 0.00023606 | -1.41% |
| 1940 | 32,914 | 302.19 | 10.89 | 132,122,446 | 0.00024912 | 5.53% |
| 1941 | 38,142 | 333.61 | 11.43 | 133,402,471 | 0.00028592 | 14.77% |
| 1942 | 27,007 | 268.22 | 10.07 | 134,859,553 | 0.00020026 | -29.96% |
| 1943 | 22,727 | 208.19 | 10.92 | 136,739,353 | 0.00016621 | -17.00% |
| 1944 | 23,165 | 212.71 | 10.89 | 138,397,345 | 0.00016738 | 0.71% |
| 1945 | 26,785 | 250.17 | 10.71 | 139,928,165 | 0.00019142 | 14.36% |
| 1946 | 31,874 | 340.88 | 9.35 | 141,388,566 | 0.00022544 | 17.77% |
| 1947 | 31,193 | 370.89 | 8.41 | 144,126,071 | 0.00021643 | -4.00% |
| 1948 | 30,775 | 397.96 | 7.73 | 146,631,302 | 0.00020988 | -3.03% |
| 1949 | 30,246 | 424.46 | 7.13 | 149,188,130 | 0.00020274 | -3.40% |
| 1950 | 33,186 | 458.25 | 7.24 | 152,271,417 | 0.00021794 | 7.50% |
| 1951 | 35,309 | 491.09 | 7.19 | 154,877,889 | 0.00022798 | 4.61% |
| 1952 | 36,088 | 513.58 | 7.03 | 157,552,740 | 0.00022905 | 0.47% |
| 1953 | 36,190 | 544.43 | 6.65 | 160,184,192 | 0.00022593 | -1.36% |
| 1954 | 33,890 | 561.96 | 6.03 | 163,025,854 | 0.00020788 | -7.99% |
| 1955 | 36,688 | 605.65 | 6.06 | 165,931,202 | 0.00022110 | 6.36% |
| 1956 | 37,965 | 627.84 | 6.05 | 168,903,031 | 0.00022477 | 1.66% |
| 1957 | 36,932 | 647.00 | 5.71 | 171,984,130 | 0.00021474 | -4.46% |
| 1958 | 35,331 | 664.65 | 5.32 | 174,881,904 | 0.00020203 | -5.92% |
| 1959 | 36,223 | 700.48 | 5.17 | 177,829,628 | 0.00020369 | 0.83% |
| 1960 | 36,399 | 718.76 | 5.06 | 180,671,158 | 0.00020147 | -1.09% |
| 1961 | 36,285 | 737.42 | 4.92 | 183,691,481 | 0.00019753 | -1.95% |
| 1962 | 38,980 | 766.73 | 5.08 | 186,537,737 | 0.00020897 | 5.79% |
| 1963 | 41,723 | 805.25 | 5.18 | 189,241,798 | 0.00022047 | 5.51% |
| 1964 | 45,645 | 846.30 | 5.39 | 191,888,791 | 0.00023787 | 7.89% |
| 1965 | 47,089 | 887.81 | 5.30 | 194,302,963 | 0.00024235 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | 50,894 | 925.90 | 5.50 | 196,560,338 | 0.00025892 | 6.84% |
| 1967 | 50,724 | 964.01 | 5.26 | 198,712,056 | 0.00025526 | -1.41% |
| 1968 | 52,725 | 1,015.87 | 5.19 | 200,706,052 | 0.00026270 | 2.91% |
| 1969 | 53,543 | 1,061.79 | 5.04 | 202,676,946 | 0.00026418 | 0.56% |
| 1970 | 52,627 | 1,109.72 | 4.74 | 205,052,174 | 0.00025665 | -2.85% |
| 1971 | 52,542 | 1,178.81 | 4.46 | 207,660,677 | 0.00025302 | -1.42% |
| 1972 | 54,589 | 1,259.79 | 4.33 | 209,896,021 | 0.00026008 | 2.79% |
| 1973 | 54,052 | 1,313.11 | 4.12 | 211,908,788 | 0.00025507 | -1.92% |
| 1974 | 45,196 | 1,280.54 | 3.53 | 213,853,928 | 0.00021134 | -17.14% |
| 1975 | 44,525 | 1,327.66 | 3.35 | 215,973,199 | 0.00020616 | -2.45% |
| 1976 | 45,523 | 1,402.38 | 3.25 | 218,035,164 | 0.00020879 | 1.27% |
| 1977 | 47,878 | 1,467.03 | 3.26 | 220,239,425 | 0.00021739 | 4.12% |
| 1978 | 50,331 | 1,544.70 | 3.26 | 222,584,545 | 0.00022612 | 4.02% |
| 1979 | 51,093 | 1,529.13 | 3.34 | 225,055,487 | 0.00022702 | 0.40% |
| 1980 | 51,091 | 1,527.30 | 3.35 | 227,224,681 | 0.00022485 | -0.96% |
| 1981 | 49,301 | 1,552.80 | 3.18 | 229,465,714 | 0.00021485 | -4.45% |
| 1982 | 43,945 | 1,595.01 | 2.76 | 231,664,458 | 0.00018969 | -11.71% |
| 1983 | 42,589 | 1,652.79 | 2.58 | 233,791,994 | 0.00018217 | -3.97% |
| 1984 | 44,257 | 1,720.27 | 2.57 | 235,824,902 | 0.00018767 | 3.02% |
| 1985 | 43,825 | 1,774.18 | 2.47 | 237,923,795 | 0.00018420 | -1.85% |
| 1986 | 46,087 | 1,834.87 | 2.51 | 240,132,887 | 0.00019192 | 4.19% |
| 1987 | 46,390 | 1,921.20 | 2.42 | 242,288,918 | 0.00019147 | -0.24% |
| 1988 | 47,087 | 2,025.96 | 2.32 | 244,498,982 | 0.00019259 | 0.58% |
| 1989 | 45,582 | 2,096.46 | 2.17 | 246,819,230 | 0.00018468 | -4.11% |
| 1990 | 44,599 | 2,144.36 | 2.08 | 249,464,396 | 0.00017878 | -3.19% |
| 1991 | 41,508 | 2,172.05 | 1.91 | 252,153,092 | 0.00016461 | -7.92% |
| 1992 | 39,250 | 2,247.15 | 1.75 | 255,029,699 | 0.00015390 | -6.51% |
| 1993 | 40,150 | 2,296.38 | 1.75 | 257,782,608 | 0.00015575 | 1.20% |
| 1994 | 40,716 | 2,358 | 1.73 | 260,327,021 | 0.000156403 | 0.42% |
| 1995 | 41,817 | 2,423 | 1.73 | 262,803,276 | 0.000159119 | 1.74% |
| 1996 | 42,065 | 2,486 | 1.69 | 265,228,572 | 0.000158599 | 0.33% |
| 1997 | 42,013 | 2,562 | 1.64 | 267,783,607 | 0.000156892 | 1.08% |
| 1998 | 41,501 | 2,632 | 1.58 | 270,248,003 | 0.000153566 | 2.12% |
| 1999 | 41,717 | 2,691 | 1.55 | 272,690,813 | 0.000152983 | 0.38% |
| 2000 | 41,945 | 2,747 | 1.53 | 282,216,952 | 0.000148627 | 2.85% |
| 2001 | 42,196 | 2,797 | 1.51 | 285,226,284 | 0.000147939 | 0.46% |
| 2002 | 43,005 | 2,856 | 1.51 | 288,125,973 | 0.000149258 | 0.89% |
| 2003 | 42,643 | 2,890 | 1.48 | 290,796,023 | 0.000146642 | 1.75% |
| 2004 | 42,836 | 2,965 | 1.44 | 293,638,158 | 0.000145880 | 0.52% |
| 2005 | 43,443 | 2,989 | 1.46 | 296,507,061 | 0.000146516 | 0.44% |
| 2006 | 42,642 | 3,014 | 1.42 | 299,398,484 | 0.000142426 | 2.79% |
| 2007 | 41,059 | 3,032 | 1.36 | 301,139,947 | 0.000137840 | 3.85% |
| 2008 | 37,261 | 2,974 | 1.25 | 303,824,640 | 0.000122640 | 11.0% |
| 2009 | 33,808 | 306,700,000 | 0.000110737 | 9.7% | ||
| 2010 | 32,708 |