Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Orange County, California
County in California · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 199
- Fatal crashes
- 194
- Population
- 3.2M
In 2024, 199 people died in 194 fatal crashes in Orange County, California. That was 13.9% fewer than in 2023 (231) and the fewest since 2020. The death rate was 6.3 per 100,000 residents, compared with 9.8 in California and 11.5 in the United States. Orange County had the 5th most traffic deaths among California's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 1,103 people died, an average of 221 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 35% of deaths, and 28% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
6.3
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About two-thirds of the rate in California: 9.8
- About half the rate in the United States: 11.5
7.0
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About two-thirds of the average in California: 10.7
- About 55 percent of the average in the United States: 12.3
-14%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
231 deaths in 2023, 199 in 2024
- California: -7%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 193 | 186 |
| 2021 | 230 | 221 |
| 2022 | 250 | 238 |
| 2023 | 231 | 217 |
| 2024 | 199 | 194 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 6.1 |
| 2021 | 7.3 |
| 2022 | 7.9 |
| 2023 | 7.3 |
| 2024 | 6.3 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
35%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 1.2 times the share in California: 28%
- About 1.9 times the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 77 |
| Pedestrians | 69 |
| Motorcyclists | 42 |
| Cyclists | 11 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Orange County | Share in California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 69 | 35% | 28% |
| Motorcyclists | 42 | 21% | 13% |
| Cyclists | 11 | 6% | 4% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 66 | 33% | 34% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 55 | 28% | 29% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
28%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About the same as the share in California: 29%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 28%
23%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 85 percent of the share in California: 27%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Orange County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 22.7% | 26.6% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 27.8% | 28.8% | 28.1% |
| At night | 63.9% | 62.0% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 30.4% | 34.4% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
64%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in California: 62%
- About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 54%
30%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 90 percent of the share in California: 34%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 52 |
| 1am | 42 |
| 2am | 54 |
| 3am | 35 |
| 4am | 42 |
| 5am | 47 |
| 6am | 39 |
| 7am | 23 |
| 8am | 24 |
| 9am | 30 |
| 10am | 20 |
| 11am | 20 |
| 12pm | 28 |
| 1pm | 35 |
| 2pm | 25 |
| 3pm | 43 |
| 4pm | 30 |
| 5pm | 59 |
| 6pm | 65 |
| 7pm | 69 |
| 8pm | 78 |
| 9pm | 60 |
| 10pm | 72 |
| 11pm | 60 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 214 |
| Mon | 132 |
| Tue | 145 |
| Wed | 100 |
| Thu | 147 |
| Fri | 147 |
| Sat | 171 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 107 |
| Feb | 75 |
| Mar | 83 |
| Apr | 67 |
| May | 76 |
| Jun | 81 |
| Jul | 85 |
| Aug | 108 |
| Sep | 83 |
| Oct | 93 |
| Nov | 114 |
| Dec | 84 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 860 |
| Cloudy | 133 |
| Rain | 31 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 9 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Dark - Lighted | 544 |
| Daylight | 351 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 94 |
| Dusk | 32 |
| Dawn | 20 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 10 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-557
- SR-9134
- SR-39 BEACH BLVD27
- I-40527
- 1ST ST19
- SR-39 BEACH BL18
- EUCLID ST18
- HARBOR BLVD17
- SR-5517
- SR-5716
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 739 |
| SUVs | 334 |
| Motorcycles | 186 |
| Pickup trucks | 171 |
| Vans | 63 |
| Other vehicles | 56 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 51 |
| Other light trucks | 4 |
| Buses | 2 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Honda Civic76
- Toyota Camry65
- Honda Accord45
- Chevrolet Silverado33
- Toyota Corolla32
- Toyota Tacoma28
- Nissan Altima22
- Toyota RAV420
- Toyota PRIUS20
- Toyota Sienna19
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 29, 2024 | Buena Park | SR-91 | 1 |
| Dec 27, 2024 | Los Alamitos | I-605 | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2024 | Mission Viejo | I-5 | 2 |
| Dec 22, 2024 | — | GILBERT ST | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2024 | Santa Ana | HARBOR BLVD | 1 |
| Dec 20, 2024 | East Irvine | BARRANCA PKWY | 1 |
| Dec 19, 2024 | Huntington Beach | SR-1 PACIFIC COAST HWY | 1 |
| Dec 19, 2024 | Huntington Beach | SPRINGDALE ST | 1 |
| Dec 19, 2024 | La Habra | SR-39 BEACH BL | 1 |
| Dec 18, 2024 | La Palma | LA PALMA AV | 1 |
| Dec 17, 2024 | Mission Viejo | LOS ALISOS BLVD | 1 |
| Dec 17, 2024 | Newport Beach | SR-1 E COAST HWY | 1 |
| Dec 15, 2024 | Laguna Woods | EL TORO RD | 1 |
| Dec 14, 2024 | Laguna Woods | EL TORO RD | 1 |
| Dec 9, 2024 | Fullerton | ORANGE THORPE AVE | 1 |
| Dec 5, 2024 | East Irvine | PORTOLA PKWY | 1 |
| Dec 4, 2024 | — | NEWLAND ST | 1 |
| Dec 3, 2024 | Fountain Valley | TALBERT AVE | 1 |
| Dec 2, 2024 | Fountain Valley | MAGNOLIA ST | 1 |
| Nov 30, 2024 | — | SR-74 ORTEGA HWY | 1 |
| Nov 30, 2024 | Orange | I-5 RAMP | 1 |
| Nov 29, 2024 | Costa Mesa | VICTORIA ST | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | — | MAGNOLIA AVE | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | Tustin | I-5 | 1 |
| Nov 22, 2024 | San Clemente | CAPISTRANO LANE | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Orange County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | 17 | 5.0 |
| Brea | 3 | 6.3 |
| Buena Park | 7 | 8.5 |
| Costa Mesa | 13 | 11.9 |
| Dana Point | 1 | 3.1 |
| East Irvine | 13 | — |
| Fountain Valley | 5 | 9.0 |
| Fullerton | 14 | 10.0 |
| Garden Grove | 6 | 3.5 |
| Huntington Beach | 15 | 7.8 |
| La Habra | 2 | 3.3 |
| Laguna Hills | 0 | — |
| Laguna Niguel | 1 | 1.6 |
| Lake Forest | 2 | 2.3 |
| Mission Viejo | 6 | 6.6 |
| Newport Beach | 7 | 8.5 |
| Orange | 9 | 6.5 |
| San Clemente | 4 | 6.4 |
| San Juan Capistrano | 0 | — |
| Santa Ana | 29 | 9.2 |
| Seal Beach | 3 | 12.3 |
| Stanton | 2 | 5.0 |
| Tustin | 3 | 3.8 |
| Westminster | 8 | 9.0 |
Nearby counties
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.