36,640 Traffic Deaths Is A Grim Number, But It’s The Lowest The U.S. Has Seen Since 2019

Americans drove more miles in 2025 than in 2024 and still managed to make the roads safer

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by Michael Gauthier

2 hours ago

The fatality rate dropped to 1.10 per 100M miles, its lowest since 2014.
Deaths declined in 39 states, with D.C. seeing a 46.8 percent reduction.
Three states posted double-digit increases against the national trend.

Traffic fatalities continue falling in the United States as an estimated 36,640 people were killed last year. While that’s still a sizable number, it’s a 6.7% decline from 2024.

Fatalities almost dropped to pre-pandemic levels as 36,355 people were killed in 2019. That shows things are moving in the right direction as fatalities spiked during the COVID era and peaked at 43,230 in 2021.

More: Americans Are Driving More And Dying Less

The number of fatalities declined in 39 states as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia last year. DC saw a 46.8% drop, while Iowa had a 27.0% decline. On the flip side, Hawaii (26.5%), New Mexico (12.0%), and Wyoming (15.9%) all saw sizable increases.

36,640 Traffic Deaths Is A Grim Number, But It’s The Lowest The U.S. Has Seen Since 2019 — US DOT

While the number of fatalities remains elevated, the fatality rate dropped to its second lowest level on record. Last year, the rate was 1.10 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled, which was down from 1.19 in 2024. That means last year’s number was below the 2019 figure of 1.11 and was the lowest since 2014.

This slightly confusing result can be explained by the fact that Americans are driving more. Preliminary numbers from the Federal Highway Administration show people traveled approximately 29.8 billion miles last year. That’s roughly 0.9% more than in 2024, which helped to lower the fatality rate.

While the numbers are headed in the right direction, there’s still a lot that can be done. In particular, April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and numerous law enforcement agencies will be on the lookout for drivers using their smartphones. The government has also taken aim at foreign truckers, driving schools, and non-English speakers.