NHTSA Releases Early Estimates 2024
Showing Nationwide Decreases in Traffic Fatalities in Priority Safety Areas During First Half of 2024, Including Pedestrian and Speeding-Related Crashes
Overall, NHTSA estimates show a decline in traffic fatalities for nine straight quarters
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today released its early estimates of traffic fatalities in key safety subcategories for the first half of 2024, projecting a decline in nearly all subcategories. Fatalities decreased in key areas, including pedestrian and speeding-related crashes, rollover crashes, and crashes involving unbuckled occupants.
“We are encouraged by the declines estimated in these key categories but know we still have more work to do to make our roads safer for everyone,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said. “We will use every tool we have to save lives, reduce injuries and prevent risky driving behaviors.”
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched the National Roadway Safety Strategy, a roadmap to address the national crisis in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on America’s highways, roads and streets.
The NRSS is complemented by unprecedented funding through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. On Nov. 15, the Department announced the final round of 2024 awards, with an additional $172 million in grants to 257 communities. Since 2022, the Safe Streets and Roads for All program has funded projects in more than 1,600 communities, supporting roadway safety for around 75% of the U.S. population.
In September, NHTSA also announced its early estimates of motor vehicle traffic fatalities for the first half of 2024, estimating that traffic fatalities declined by 3.2% compared to the same period in 2023, with the second quarter of 2024 marking the ninth straight quarter of declining fatalities. The report showed an estimated fatality rate of 1.17 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the first half of 2024, down from the projected rate of 1.21 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2023.
Since January 2021, NHTSA finalized a significant number of safety initiatives aimed at reducing traffic deaths, such as a new requirement for passenger cars and light trucks to come equipped with automatic emergency braking systems by 2029. In coordination with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency continues to work toward finalizing a similar requirement for heavy vehicles. These initiatives support the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy.
- Introduction and Summary
- NHTSA has recently issued a projection report of traffic fatalities and the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for the first half of 2024 (Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities the First Half (Jan–Jun) of 2024, Report No. DOT HS 813 633). That report shows an estimated 18,720 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the first half of 2024, a decrease of about 3.2 percent as compared to 19,330 fatalities projected to have occurred in the first half of 2023. The estimated fatality rate for the first half of 2024 is 1.17 fatalities per 100 million VMT, down from the projected rate of 1.21 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2023.
This NHTSA report is being issued after conducting a special analysis of the fatalities and the fatality rates per 100 million VMT by key sub-categories in the first half of 2024. The analysis is based on ratio-adjusted estimates of the first half of 2024 fatal crash data coded thus far into NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS),as described in the Data and Methodology section.
There are decreases across almost all sub-categories. The trends of traffic fatalities in the first half of 2024 as compared to the first half of 2023 in the key sub-categories are summarized as follows:- • on rural interstates (up 0%), urban interstates (down 8%), rural or urban collectors/local roads (down 5%)
• at night (down 4%)
• during weekends (down 4%)
• during out-of-State travel (down 12%)
• in newer (vehicle age < 10 years) passenger vehicles (down 7%)
• in passenger vehicle rollover crashes (down 6%)
• ejected (down 9%)
• in single-vehicle crashes (down 2%)
• in roadway departure crashes (down 5%)
• in speeding-related crashes (down 6%)
• in the 65-and-older age group (up 1%)
• males (down 3%) and females (down 2%)
• unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants (down 7%)
• drivers (down 3%) and passengers (down 7%)
• passenger vehicle occupants (down 6%)
• motorcyclists (up 1%)
• pedestrians (down 3%)
• pedalcyclists (down 1%)
• in crashes involving at least one large truck (down 1%)
seen in recent years, was strongly driven by the trends in the fatality rates per 100 million VMT on rural arterials,
rural local/collector/street roadways, and urban arterials. - • on rural interstates (up 0%), urban interstates (down 8%), rural or urban collectors/local roads (down 5%)
- NHTSA has recently issued a projection report of traffic fatalities and the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for the first half of 2024 (Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities the First Half (Jan–Jun) of 2024, Report No. DOT HS 813 633). That report shows an estimated 18,720 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the first half of 2024, a decrease of about 3.2 percent as compared to 19,330 fatalities projected to have occurred in the first half of 2023. The estimated fatality rate for the first half of 2024 is 1.17 fatalities per 100 million VMT, down from the projected rate of 1.21 fatalities per 100 million VMT in the first half of 2023.