The Roadway Safety Problem

Almost 95% of people who die using our Nation’s transportation networks are killed on our streets, roads, and highways, and this threat to our safety is getting worse. Read the National Roadway Safety Strategy to learn about what U.S. DOT is doing to address this crisis.

More than 370,000 people died in transportation incidents over the last decade (2011-2020) in the United States. More than 350,000 of them died on our roads.

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

In 2021, 42,939 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes, of which 7,388 were people walking. Millions more are injured – sometimes permanently – each year. 

Roadway fatalities and the fatality rate declined consistently for 30 years, but progress has stalled over the last decade and went in the wrong direction in 2020 and 2021.

Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System

Traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for teenagers in America, and disproportionately impact people who are Black and American Indian. The rate of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled has not substantially improved over the last 10 years, and increased significantly in 2020 before remaining stable in 2021.

42,939 people died on America’s roads in 2021¹

Compared to 2020, fatalities increased:

• 10.1% overall. 42,939 lives were lost, the highest total number recorded since 2005
• 14% on urban roads
• 14% among drivers ages 65 and older
• 12.5% among people walking, totaling 7,388 lives lost, the highest recorded in decades
• 17% among fatal crashes involving at least one large truck
• 8% among motorcyclists, totaling 5,932 lives lost, the highest total ever recorded

Source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System

¹NHTSA: Overview of Motor Vehicle Crash Traffic Crashes in 2021