Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in Massachusetts in 2021
State in United States
- Deaths, 2021
- 413
- Fatal crashes
- 393
- Population
- 7M
In 2021, 413 people died in 393 fatal crashes in Massachusetts. That was 20.4% more than in 2020 (343) and the most since 2007. The death rate was 5.9 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. Massachusetts had the 32nd most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 49th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 18% of deaths, and 32% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
Road users
Who died
18%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About the same as the share in the United States: 17%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 259 |
| Pedestrians | 74 |
| Motorcyclists | 75 |
| Cyclists | 5 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Massachusetts | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 74 | 18% | 17% |
| Motorcyclists | 75 | 18% | 14% |
| Cyclists | 5 | 1% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 153 | 37% | 31% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 133 | 32% | 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%
36%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 1.4 times the share in the United States: 26%
| Category | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 35.6% | 26.3% |
| Alcohol-involved | 31.6% | 28.2% |
| At night | 52.7% | 53.9% |
| At weekends | 31.8% | 32.8% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
53%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
32%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 15 |
| 1am | 19 |
| 2am | 17 |
| 3am | 11 |
| 4am | 5 |
| 5am | 8 |
| 6am | 10 |
| 7am | 6 |
| 8am | 11 |
| 9am | 8 |
| 10am | 12 |
| 11am | 16 |
| 12pm | 27 |
| 1pm | 21 |
| 2pm | 18 |
| 3pm | 15 |
| 4pm | 23 |
| 5pm | 19 |
| 6pm | 22 |
| 7pm | 23 |
| 8pm | 22 |
| 9pm | 23 |
| 10pm | 17 |
| 11pm | 25 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 54 |
| Mon | 45 |
| Tue | 59 |
| Wed | 52 |
| Thu | 54 |
| Fri | 58 |
| Sat | 71 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 22 |
| Feb | 18 |
| Mar | 25 |
| Apr | 35 |
| May | 34 |
| Jun | 40 |
| Jul | 28 |
| Aug | 44 |
| Sep | 37 |
| Oct | 31 |
| Nov | 35 |
| Dec | 44 |
All crashes 2021.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 288 |
| Cloudy | 47 |
| Rain | 28 |
| Snow | 5 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 4 |
| Sleet or Hail | 2 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 183 |
| Dark - Lighted | 117 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 60 |
| Dusk | 11 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 7 |
| Dawn | 4 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2021
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- I-9314
- I-49513
- I-9011
- I-9511
- US-16
- I-1955
- I-915
- SR-24
- EAST ST4
- I-2904
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 243 |
| SUVs | 137 |
| Motorcycles | 74 |
| Pickup trucks | 45 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 35 |
| Other vehicles | 22 |
| Vans | 20 |
| Buses | 3 |
| Other light trucks | 2 |
All crashes 2021.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Toyota Corolla20
- Honda Accord18
- Honda Civic16
- Toyota Camry15
- Toyota RAV412
- Subaru Forester11
- Honda CR-V9
- Hyundai Elantra9
- Nissan Altima9
- Ford F-1508
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 2021. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 29, 2021 | Swampscott, Essex County | PARADISE RD | 1 |
| Dec 28, 2021 | Middleborough, Plymouth County | WAREHAM ST | 1 |
| Dec 28, 2021 | Williamsburg, Hampshire County | MOUNTAIN ST | 1 |
| Dec 27, 2021 | Mansfield, Bristol County | SR-106 CHAUNCY ST | 1 |
| Dec 27, 2021 | Tewksbury, Middlesex County | LANGLEY LN | 1 |
| Dec 27, 2021 | Haverhill, Essex County | ROSEMONT ST | 1 |
| Dec 26, 2021 | Boston, Suffolk County | PARK ST | 1 |
| Dec 26, 2021 | Gloucester, Essex County | SR-133 ESSEX AVE | 1 |
| Dec 25, 2021 | Saugus, Essex County | US-1 | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2021 | Medford, Middlesex County | SR-28 FELLSWAY W | 1 |
| Dec 24, 2021 | Mattapoisett, Plymouth County | I-195 | 2 |
| Dec 24, 2021 | Hopkinton, Middlesex County | I-495 | 1 |
| Dec 23, 2021 | Mansfield, Bristol County | I-95 | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2021 | Holyoke, Hampden County | US-5 NORTHAMPTON ST | 1 |
| Dec 21, 2021 | Somerville, Middlesex County | PRICHARD AVE | 1 |
| Dec 20, 2021 | Dedham, Norfolk County | SR-109 BRIDGE ST | 1 |
| Dec 20, 2021 | Sandisfield, Berkshire County | SR-8N | 1 |
| Dec 18, 2021 | Chicopee, Hampden County | JAMES ST | 1 |
| Dec 18, 2021 | Upton, Worcester County | PLEASANT ST | 1 |
| Dec 17, 2021 | Haverhill, Essex County | I-495 | 1 |
| Dec 17, 2021 | Bolton, Worcester County | WATTAQUADOCK HILL RD | 1 |
| Dec 15, 2021 | Brighton, Suffolk County | WASHINGTON ST | 1 |
| Dec 13, 2021 | Brighton, Suffolk County | WESTERN AVE | 1 |
| Dec 12, 2021 | Woburn, Middlesex County | SR-38 MAIN ST | 1 |
| Dec 12, 2021 | Brockton, Plymouth County | EAST ST | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in Massachusetts in 2021
| Area | Deaths, 2021 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | 19 | 8.2 |
| Berkshire County | 10 | 7.7 |
| Bristol County | 46 | 7.9 |
| Dukes County | 1 | 4.7 |
| Essex County | 40 | 5.0 |
| Franklin County | 7 | 9.9 |
| Hampden County | 59 | 12.8 |
| Hampshire County | 5 | 3.0 |
| Middlesex County | 57 | 3.5 |
| Nantucket County | 0 | — |
| Norfolk County | 37 | 5.1 |
| Plymouth County | 37 | 6.9 |
| Suffolk County | 36 | 4.6 |
| Worcester County | 59 | 6.8 |
Rankings
Nearby states
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2021. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.