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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2024 | Los Angeles County | CROWN VALLEY RD | 1 |
| Oct 24, 2024 | Kern County | BACKUS RD | 1 |
| Oct 24, 2024 | Riverside, Riverside County | RIVERWALK PKWY | 1 |
| Oct 24, 2024 | Barstow, San Bernardino County | I-15 | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | Los Angeles County | I-5 RAMP | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | Victorville, San Bernardino County | AIR EXPWY | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | California City, Kern County | CALIFORNIA CITY BL | 2 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | Vacaville, Solano County | CERNON ST | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | Vista, San Diego County | E VISTA WY | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | San Diego County | I-5 | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | Sutter County | ENSLEY RD | 1 |
| Oct 23, 2024 | Sacramento County | WATT AVE | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2024 | San Diego, San Diego County | SR-905 | 2 |
| Oct 22, 2024 | San Francisco, San Francisco County | PARNASSUS AVE | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2024 | Ventura County | SR-126 E TELEGRAPH RD | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2024 | Hanford, Kings County | GRANGEVILLE BL | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2024 | Mendocino County | SR-20 | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2024 | Red Bluff, Tehama County | SR-36 ANTELOPE BL | 1 |
| Oct 22, 2024 | Butte County | PRYDE AVE | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | Westminster, Orange County | WESTMINISTR BLVD | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | Stockton, San Joaquin County | I-5 WEST SIDE FWY | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | Riverside, Riverside County | BISCAYNE AVE | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | Costa Mesa, Orange County | NEWPORT BLVD | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | Oceanside, San Diego County | OCEANSIDE BL | 1 |
| Oct 21, 2024 | Temecula, Riverside County | RAINBOW CNYN RD | 1 |
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.