Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in California
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%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 4,092 | 3,667 |
| 1976 | 4,395 | 3,895 |
| 1977 | 4,839 | 4,351 |
| 1978 | 5,310 | 4,724 |
| 1979 | 5,542 | 4,975 |
| 1980 | 5,496 | 4,930 |
| 1981 | 5,170 | 4,670 |
| 1982 | 4,615 | 4,119 |
| 1983 | 4,573 | 4,089 |
| 1984 | 5,020 | 4,517 |
| 1985 | 4,960 | 4,447 |
| 1986 | 5,253 | 4,683 |
| 1987 | 5,504 | 4,935 |
| 1988 | 5,392 | 4,875 |
| 1989 | 5,412 | 4,877 |
| 1990 | 5,192 | 4,685 |
| 1991 | 4,688 | 4,194 |
| 1992 | 4,192 | 3,722 |
| 1993 | 4,164 | 3,687 |
| 1994 | 4,232 | 3,787 |
| 1995 | 4,192 | 3,669 |
| 1996 | 3,989 | 3,576 |
| 1997 | 3,688 | 3,279 |
| 1998 | 3,494 | 3,112 |
| 1999 | 3,559 | 3,148 |
| 2000 | 3,753 | 3,348 |
| 2001 | 3,956 | 3,543 |
| 2002 | 4,088 | 3,654 |
| 2003 | 4,224 | 3,731 |
| 2004 | 4,120 | 3,727 |
| 2005 | 4,333 | 3,849 |
| 2006 | 4,240 | 3,839 |
| 2007 | 3,995 | 3,591 |
| 2008 | 3,434 | 3,145 |
| 2009 | 3,090 | 2,825 |
| 2010 | 2,720 | 2,504 |
| 2011 | 2,816 | 2,617 |
| 2012 | 2,966 | 2,733 |
| 2013 | 3,107 | 2,860 |
| 2014 | 3,102 | 2,859 |
| 2015 | 3,387 | 3,123 |
| 2016 | 3,837 | 3,540 |
| 2017 | 3,884 | 3,569 |
| 2018 | 3,798 | 3,485 |
| 2019 | 3,719 | 3,427 |
| 2020 | 3,980 | 3,673 |
| 2021 | 4,513 | 4,196 |
| 2022 | 4,539 | 4,218 |
| 2023 | 4,169 | 3,826 |
| 2024 | 3,876 | 3,583 |
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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.0 |
| 2001 | 11.5 |
| 2002 | 11.7 |
| 2003 | 12.0 |
| 2004 | 11.6 |
| 2005 | 12.1 |
| 2006 | 11.8 |
| 2007 | 11.0 |
| 2008 | 9.4 |
| 2009 | 8.4 |
| 2010 | 7.3 |
| 2011 | 7.5 |
| 2012 | 7.8 |
| 2013 | 8.1 |
| 2014 | 8.0 |
| 2015 | 8.7 |
| 2016 | 9.8 |
| 2017 | 9.9 |
| 2018 | 9.6 |
| 2019 | 9.4 |
| 2020 | 10.1 |
| 2021 | 11.5 |
| 2022 | 11.6 |
| 2023 | 10.6 |
| 2024 | 9.9 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
28%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 1.6 times the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 2,101 |
| Pedestrians | 1,090 |
| Motorcyclists | 522 |
| Cyclists | 163 |
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| 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%
| 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%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 945 |
| 1am | 829 |
| 2am | 891 |
| 3am | 643 |
| 4am | 696 |
| 5am | 783 |
| 6am | 661 |
| 7am | 469 |
| 8am | 417 |
| 9am | 419 |
| 10am | 446 |
| 11am | 481 |
| 12pm | 586 |
| 1pm | 582 |
| 2pm | 684 |
| 3pm | 762 |
| 4pm | 789 |
| 5pm | 974 |
| 6pm | 1,128 |
| 7pm | 1,169 |
| 8pm | 1,284 |
| 9pm | 1,254 |
| 10pm | 1,154 |
| 11pm | 1,080 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 3,361 |
| Mon | 2,453 |
| Tue | 2,374 |
| Wed | 2,381 |
| Thu | 2,591 |
| Fri | 2,969 |
| Sat | 3,367 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 1,580 |
| Feb | 1,410 |
| Mar | 1,468 |
| Apr | 1,512 |
| May | 1,540 |
| Jun | 1,564 |
| Jul | 1,671 |
| Aug | 1,737 |
| Sep | 1,722 |
| Oct | 1,837 |
| Nov | 1,740 |
| Dec | 1,715 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 16,517 |
| Cloudy | 1,789 |
| Rain | 723 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 192 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 59 |
| Snow | 19 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 7,084 |
| Dark - Lighted | 6,416 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 4,983 |
| Dusk | 462 |
| Dawn | 377 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 128 |
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-5538
- US-101395
- SR-99364
- I-15276
- I-10247
- I-80194
- SR-1150
- SR-91121
- SR-4105
- I-894
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 12,921 |
| SUVs | 5,144 |
| Pickup trucks | 3,940 |
| Motorcycles | 3,016 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 2,065 |
| Other vehicles | 1,324 |
| Vans | 927 |
| Buses | 71 |
| Other light trucks | 45 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Honda Civic1,019
- Honda Accord999
- Toyota Camry959
- Chevrolet Silverado749
- Toyota Corolla669
- Ford F-150532
- Toyota Tacoma505
- Freightliner Cascadia486
- Nissan Altima439
- Nissan Sentra342
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 26, 2024 | Orange County | MAGNOLIA AVE | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Fresno, Fresno County | SR-168 RAMP | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Palmdale, Los Angeles County | 47TH ST EAST | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Santa Paula, Ventura County | SR-126 | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Modesto, Stanislaus County | SR-132 | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Kern County | SR-178 | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Kern County | SR-33 WESTSIDE HWY | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Sacramento County | HAZEL AVE | 1 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | San Jose, Santa Clara County | I-680 | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | Hayward, Alameda County | SR-92 JACKSON ST | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | San Francisco, San Francisco County | JULES AVE | 2 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | Vallejo, Solano County | ASCOT PKWY | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | Los Angeles, Los Angeles County | SR-2 | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | Tustin, Orange County | I-5 | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | Stanislaus County | CROWS LANDING RD | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Bell Gardens, Los Angeles County | FLORENCE AVE | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Lafayette, Contra Costa County | PLEASANT HILL RD | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Concord, Contra Costa County | SR-242 | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Contra Costa County | CR-KIRKER PASS RD | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | San Francisco, San Francisco County | 16TH ST | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Downey, Los Angeles County | I-605 | 2 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | San Jose, Santa Clara County | S BASCOM AV | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Escondido, San Diego County | SR-78 | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | San Bernardino County | CRYSTAL CREEK RD | 1 |
| Nov 24, 2024 | Rialto, San Bernardino County | RIVERSIDE AVE | 2 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in California
Cities
- Adelanto
- Alhambra
- Anaheim
- Antioch
- Apple Valley
- Atascadero
- Azusa
- Bakersfield
- Baldwin Park
- Banning
- Barstow
- Beaumont
- Bell
- Bellflower
- Berkeley
- Blythe
- Brea
- Brentwood
- Buena Park
- Burbank
- Burlingame
- Calimesa
- Camarillo
- Carlsbad
- Carson
- Cathedral City
- Ceres
- Cerritos
- Chico
- Chino
- Chino Hills
- Chula Vista
- Citrus Heights
- Claremont
- Clearlake
- Clovis
- Coachella
- Colton
- Commerce
- Compton
- Concord
- Corona
- Costa Mesa
- Culver City
- Cupertino
- Daly City
- Dana Point
- Davis
- Desert Hot Springs
- Diamond Bar
- Downey
- East Irvine
- East Los Angeles
- El Cajon
- El Centro
- El Monte
- Elk Grove
- Encinitas
- Escondido
- Eureka
- Fairfield
- Folsom
- Fontana
- Fountain Valley
- Fremont
- Fresno
- Fullerton
- Galt
- Garden Grove
- Garnet
- Gilroy
- Glendale
- Goleta
- Hanford
- Hawthorne
- Hayward
- Hemet
- Hercules
- Hesperia
- Highland
- Huntington Beach
- Huntington Park
- Indio
- Inglewood
- Irwindale
- Jurupa Valley
- La Habra
- La Mesa
- La Quinta
- Lafayette
- Laguna Hills
- Laguna Niguel
- Lake Elsinore
- Lake Forest
- Lancaster
- Lathrop
- Lemon Grove
- Livermore
- Lodi
- Loma Linda
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Lynwood
- Madera
- Malibu
- Manteca
- Menifee
- Merced
- Milpitas
- Mission Viejo
- Modesto
- Montclair
- Monterey Park
- Moreno Valley
- Mountain View
- Murrieta
- Napa
- National City
- Naval Air Station San Diego
- Newark
- Newport Beach
- Norco
- North Palm Springs
- Norwalk
- Oakland
- Oceanside
- Ontario
- Orange
- Orinda
- Oroville
- Oxnard
- Palm Desert
- Palm Springs
- Palmdale
- Palo Alto
- Paramount
- Pasadena
- Paso Robles
- Perris
- Pico Rivera
- Pittsburg
- Pleasanton
- Pomona
- Porterville
- Rancho Cordova
- Rancho Cucamonga
- Red Bluff
- Redding
- Redlands
- Redondo Beach
- Redwood City
- Rialto
- Richmond
- Riverside
- Rosemead
- Roseville
- Sacramento
- Salinas
- San Bernardino
- San Clemente
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jacinto
- San Jose
- San Juan Capistrano
- San Leandro
- San Luis Obispo
- San Marcos
- San Mateo
- San Pablo
- San Rafael
- Santa Ana
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clara
- Santa Clarita
- Santa Cruz
- Santa Fe Springs
- Santa Maria
- Santa Monica
- Santa Rosa
- Seal Beach
- Simi Valley
- South Gate
- South San Francisco
- Stanton
- Stockton
- Sunnyvale
- Temecula
- Thousand Oaks
- Torrance
- Tracy
- Tulare
- Turlock
- Tustin
- Twentynine Palms
- Union City
- Upland
- Vacaville
- Vallejo
- Ventura
- Victorville
- Visalia
- Vista
- Walnut Creek
- Wasco
- Watsonville
- West Covina
- West Sacramento
- Westminster
- Whittier
- Wildomar
- Woodland
- Yuba City
- Yucaipa
- Yucca Valley
Cities with at least 10 fatal crashes across the loaded years are listed.
Rankings
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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.