Fatal crash profile · State

Traffic deaths in California in 2024

State in United States

Deaths, 2024
3,876
Fatal crashes
3,583
Population
39.4M

In 2024, 3,876 people died in 3,583 fatal crashes in California, about 11 a day. That was 7.0% fewer than in 2023 (4,169) and the fewest since 2019. The death rate was 9.8 per 100,000 residents, compared with 11.5 in the United States. California had the 2nd most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 34th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 28% of deaths, and 29% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.

Deaths

Traffic deaths

9.8

deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024

  • About 85 percent of the rate in the United States: 11.5

-7%

change in deaths from 2023 to 2024

4,169 deaths in 2023, 3,876 in 2024

  • The United States: -4%

Profile by year: 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · 2021 · 2020

Road users

Who died

28%

of deaths were pedestrians

  • About 1.6 times the share in the United States: 18%
Who died in 2024
Category Deaths
Vehicle occupants and others 2,101
Pedestrians 1,090
Motorcyclists 522
Cyclists 163
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Deaths by type, 2024
Type Deaths Share in California Share in the US
Pedestrians 1,090 28% 18%
Motorcyclists 522 13% 16%
Cyclists 163 4% 3%
Alcohol-impaired driving crashes 1,311 34% 30%
Speeding-related crashes 1,139 29% 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

29%

of fatal crashes were speeding-related

  • About the same as the share in the United States: 28%

27%

of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver

  • About the same as the share in the United States: 25%
Crash factors in 2024
Category California United States
Speeding-related 26.6% 24.8%
Alcohol-involved 28.8% 28.1%
At night 62.0% 53.6%
At weekends 34.4% 32.6%

Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.

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Timing

When crashes happen

62%

of fatal crashes happened at night

  • About 1.2 times the share in the United States: 54%

34%

of fatal crashes happened at weekends

  • About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
Fatal crashes by hour of day
Category Fatal crashes
12am 201
1am 150
2am 178
3am 118
4am 139
5am 154
6am 114
7am 91
8am 73
9am 73
10am 72
11am 98
12pm 122
1pm 108
2pm 107
3pm 119
4pm 135
5pm 180
6pm 193
7pm 204
8pm 233
9pm 233
10pm 206
11pm 212

All crashes 2024.

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Fatal crashes by day of week
Category Fatal crashes
Sun 617
Mon 463
Tue 421
Wed 452
Thu 478
Fri 538
Sat 614

All crashes 2024.

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Fatal crashes by month
Category Fatal crashes
Jan 272
Feb 264
Mar 294
Apr 289
May 273
Jun 283
Jul 307
Aug 330
Sep 332
Oct 318
Nov 321
Dec 300

All crashes 2024.

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Conditions

Weather and light

Weather at the time of the crash
Category Fatal crashes
Clear 2,974
Cloudy 368
Rain 169
Fog, Smog, Smoke 38
Severe Crosswinds 8
Snow 5

All crashes 2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.

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Light conditions at the time of the crash
Category Fatal crashes
Daylight 1,271
Dark - Lighted 1,224
Dark - Not Lighted 919
Dusk 82
Dawn 58
Dark - Unknown Lighting 19

All crashes 2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.

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Roads and vehicles

Where and what, 2024

Roads with the most fatal crashes

  1. I-5109
  2. US-10176
  3. SR-9962
  4. I-1546
  5. I-1044
  6. I-8027
  7. SR-9127
  8. SR-123
  9. I-58021
  10. US-39516

Road names as recorded in police reports.

Vehicles involved, by type
Category Vehicles
Cars 2,239
SUVs 1,057
Pickup trucks 732
Motorcycles 537
Medium and heavy trucks 394
Other vehicles 237
Vans 163
Buses 20
Other light trucks 11

All crashes 2024.

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Vehicles most often involved

  1. Honda Accord193
  2. Toyota Camry192
  3. Honda Civic180
  4. Chevrolet Silverado154
  5. Toyota Corolla136
  6. Toyota Tacoma105
  7. Ford F-15098
  8. Freightliner Cascadia97
  9. Nissan Altima76
  10. GMC Sierra61

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
Crash factors
Date Location Deaths
Dec 31, 2024 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County 1
Dec 31, 2024 Santa Paula, Ventura County 1
Dec 31, 2024 Visalia, Tulare County 1
Dec 31, 2024 Camarillo, Ventura County 1
Dec 31, 2024 San Diego, San Diego County 1
Dec 31, 2024 Richmond, Contra Costa County 1
Dec 30, 2024 Banning, Riverside County 1
Dec 30, 2024 Clearlake, Lake County 1
Dec 30, 2024 Riverside County 1
Dec 29, 2024 Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County 1
Dec 29, 2024 San Bernardino, San Bernardino County 1
Dec 29, 2024 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County 1
Dec 29, 2024 Monrovia, Los Angeles County 1
Dec 29, 2024 Humboldt County 1
Dec 29, 2024 Buena Park, Orange County 1
Dec 29, 2024 Sacramento County 1
Dec 29, 2024 San Bernardino County 1
Dec 28, 2024 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County 1
Dec 28, 2024 San Jose, Santa Clara County 1
Dec 28, 2024 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County 1
Dec 28, 2024 Sacramento County 1
Dec 28, 2024 San Bernardino County 1
Dec 28, 2024 San Diego, San Diego County 1
Dec 28, 2024 Los Angeles County 1
Dec 28, 2024 Riverside County 1

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Nearby and related

Counties in California in 2024

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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.