Fatal crash profile · State

Traffic deaths in Delaware in 2023

Deaths, 2023: 135
Fatal crashes: 128
Population: 1M

In 2023, 135 people died in 128 fatal crashes in Delaware. That was 16.7% fewer than in 2022 (162) and the fewest since 2020. The death rate was 13.0 per 100,000 residents, compared with 12.2 in the United States. Delaware had the 43rd most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 25th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 20% of deaths, and 32% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.

Deaths

Traffic deaths

13.0

deaths per 100,000 residents in 2023

About the same as the rate in the United States: 12.2

-17%

change in deaths from 2022 to 2023

162 deaths in 2022, 135 in 2023

The United States: -4%

Delaware traffic deaths by year goes back to 1975.

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

Road users

Who died

20%

of deaths were pedestrians

About 1.1 times the share in the United States: 18%

Who died in 2023

Category	Deaths
Vehicle occupants and others	89
Pedestrians	27
Motorcyclists	14
Cyclists	5

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Deaths by type, 2023
Type	Deaths	Share in Delaware	Share in the US
Pedestrians	27	20%	18%
Motorcyclists	14	10%	16%
Cyclists	5	4%	3%
Alcohol-impaired driving crashes	38	28%	30%
Speeding-related crashes	45	33%	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

32%

of fatal crashes were speeding-related

About 1.1 times the share in the United States: 28%

28%

of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver

About the same as the share in the United States: 26%

Crash factors in 2023

Category	Delaware	United States
Speeding-related	28.1%	25.6%
Alcohol-involved	32.0%	28.2%
At night	60.9%	54.1%
At weekends	32.0%	33.5%

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

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Timing

When crashes happen

61%

of fatal crashes happened at night

About 1.1 times the share in the United States: 54%

32%

of fatal crashes happened at weekends

About the same as the share in the United States: 34%

Fatal crashes by hour of day

Category	Fatal crashes
12am	5
1am	7
2am	5
3am	5
4am	0
5am	2
6am	2
7am	6
8am	1
9am	2
10am	4
11am	2
12pm	2
1pm	2
2pm	4
3pm	4
4pm	9
5pm	11
6pm	7
7pm	8
8pm	8
9pm	13
10pm	9
11pm	9

All crashes 2023.

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Fatal crashes by day of week

Category	Fatal crashes
Sun	16
Mon	17
Tue	15
Wed	19
Thu	17
Fri	19
Sat	25

All crashes 2023.

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Fatal crashes by month

Category	Fatal crashes
Jan	10
Feb	11
Mar	12
Apr	20
May	10
Jun	9
Jul	7
Aug	8
Sep	15
Oct	7
Nov	10
Dec	9

All crashes 2023.

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Conditions

Weather and light

Weather at the time of the crash

Category	Fatal crashes
Clear	87
Cloudy	20
Rain	17
Fog, Smog, Smoke	2
Other	1

All crashes 2023. 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	46
Dark - Not Lighted	45
Dark - Lighted	23
Dark - Unknown Lighting	8
Dawn	5

All crashes 2023. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.

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Roads and vehicles

Where and what, 2023

Roads with the most fatal crashes

US-13 SUSSEX HWY6
SR-1 COASTAL HWY4
US-113 DUPONT BLVD4
US-13 N DUPONT HWY4
US-40 PULASKI HWY4
I-4953
I-953
SR-13
SR-300 WHEATLEYS POND RD3
US-13 S DUPONT HWY3

Road names as recorded in police reports.

Vehicles involved, by type

Category	Vehicles
Cars	85
SUVs	52
Pickup trucks	24
Motorcycles	14
Medium and heavy trucks	11
Vans	6
Other vehicles	3
Buses	2

All crashes 2023.

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Vehicles most often involved

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 2023. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.

Filter crashes

Who died Time of day Day Weather Lighting Vehicle type involved Make involved

Alcohol-involved Speeding-related Distracted driver

Date	Location	Road	Deaths
Dec 21, 2023	New Castle County	US-40 PULASKI HWY	1
Dec 21, 2023	Wilmington, New Castle County	SR-9 E FOURTH ST	1
Dec 16, 2023	Smyrna, Kent County	SR-13 N DUPONT HWY	1
Dec 15, 2023	Sussex County	SR-16 BEACH HWY	1
Dec 6, 2023	New Castle County	SR-48 LANCASTER PK	1
Dec 5, 2023	Dover, Kent County	US-13 N DUPONT HWY	1
Dec 4, 2023	Sussex County	US-13 SUSSEX HWY	1
Dec 3, 2023	Seaford, Sussex County	US-13 SUSSEX HWY	1
Dec 1, 2023	Kent County	US-13 N DUPONT HWY	1
Nov 29, 2023	New Castle County	US-13 DUPONT PKWY	1
Nov 27, 2023	Wilmington, New Castle County	N MONROE ST	1
Nov 26, 2023	Sussex County	SR-9	1
Nov 19, 2023	New Castle County	US-40 PULASKI HWY	1
Nov 17, 2023	Dover, Kent County	US-13 N DUPONT HWY	1
Nov 11, 2023	Sussex County	SR-30 WHITESVILLE RD	1
Nov 7, 2023	Sussex County	US-113 DUPONT BLVD	1
Nov 4, 2023	Kent County	SR-300 WHEATLEYS POND RD	1
Nov 2, 2023	New Castle County	SR-72 WRANGLE HILL RD	1
Nov 2, 2023	Farmington, Kent County	US-13 S DUPONT HWY	1
Oct 30, 2023	Kent County	SR-300 WHEATLEYS POND RD	1
Oct 28, 2023	New Castle County	MU-BLACKBIRD LANDING ROAD	1
Oct 25, 2023	Sussex County	SR-23 LONG NECK RD	1
Oct 17, 2023	Dover, Kent County	HAZLETTVILLE RD	1
Oct 16, 2023	New Castle County	I-95	1
Oct 7, 2023	Sussex County	US-113 DUPONT BLVD	1

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Explore

Nearby and related

Counties in Delaware in 2023

Area	Deaths, 2023	Per 100,000
Kent County	32	16.8
New Castle County	59	10.2
Sussex County	44	16.7

Rankings

Nearby states

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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2023. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.