AASHTO Journal - NHTSA Projects Decline in Traffic Fatalities for 2024

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects that 39,345 people died in traffic crashes in 2024 across the U.S.; a decline of roughly 3.8 percent compared to the 40,901 traffic fatalities reported in 2023.

[Above photo by WSDOT]

Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration shows vehicle miles traveled or VMT increased in 2024 by 1 percent, meaning that traffic fatality rate for 2024 decreased to 1.20 fatalities per 100 million VMT — the lowest since 2019, but still above the average rate of 1.13 in the seven years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, NHTSA said.

The agency also noted that this marks the first time since 2020 that traffic fatalities dropped below the 40,000 mark.

NHTSA pointed out that quarterly declines continue in overall traffic fatalities; a trend that began in the second quarter of 2022, with the fourth quarter of 2024 marking the 11th consecutive quarterly decrease in traffic fatalities.

“It’s encouraging to see that traffic fatalities are continuing to fall from their COVID pandemic highs,” noted NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser in a statement.

“Total road fatalities, however, remain significantly higher than a decade ago, and America’s traffic fatality rate remains high relative to many peer nations,” he stressed. “To reduce fatalities further, USDOT [the U.S. Department of Transportation] is working closely to partner with the law enforcement community to enhance traffic enforcement on our roads, including speeding, impairment, distraction, and lack of seatbelt use.”

Concurrently, NHTSA also released its final 2023 Fatality Analysis Reporting System and Crash Reporting Sampling System traffic crash data and analysis.

According to that finalized analysis, the agency said 1,820 fewer people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023 on U.S. roads – a 4.3 percent decrease from 42,721 in 2022 to 40,901 in 2023 – with the 2023 fatality rate per 100 million VMT dropping by 6 percent from 1.34 in 2022 to 1.26 in 2023.