Fatal crash profile · State

Traffic deaths in Massachusetts in 2021

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

5.9

deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021

About half the rate in the United States: 13.0

+20%

change in deaths from 2020 to 2021

343 deaths in 2020, 413 in 2021

The United States: +11%

Massachusetts traffic deaths by year goes back to 1975.

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

Road users

Who died

18%

of deaths were pedestrians

About the same as the share in the United States: 17%

Who died in 2021

Category	Deaths
Vehicle occupants and others	259
Pedestrians	74
Motorcyclists	75
Cyclists	5

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Deaths by type, 2021
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%

Crash factors in 2021

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%

Fatal crashes by hour of day

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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Fatal crashes by day of week

Category	Fatal crashes
Sun	54
Mon	45
Tue	59
Wed	52
Thu	54
Fri	58
Sat	71

All crashes 2021.

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Fatal crashes by month

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

Weather at the time of the crash

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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Light conditions at the time of the crash

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.

Vehicles involved, by type

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

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

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

Alcohol-involved Speeding-related Distracted driver

Date	Location	Road	Deaths
Nov 23, 2021	Lynn, Essex County	LYNNWAY	1
Nov 22, 2021	Mashpee, Barnstable County	SR-28 FALMOUTH RD	1
Nov 22, 2021	Wilbraham, Hampden County	I-90	1
Nov 21, 2021	Boston, Suffolk County	SUMNER TUNNEL	2
Nov 19, 2021	Salisbury, Essex County	FOLLY MILL RD	1
Nov 18, 2021	Boston, Suffolk County	I-93	1
Nov 18, 2021	Weymouth, Norfolk County	SR-3 PILGRIMS HWY	1
Nov 17, 2021	Brockton, Plymouth County	SR-123 CENTRE ST	1
Nov 16, 2021	Springfield, Hampden County	SR-141 WORCESTER ST	1
Nov 13, 2021	Milford, Worcester County	I-495	1
Nov 13, 2021	Brockton, Plymouth County	PERKINS AVE	1
Nov 12, 2021	East Bridgewater, Plymouth County	SR-18 BEDFORD ST	1
Nov 10, 2021	Springfield, Hampden County	STATE ST	1
Nov 10, 2021	Athol, Worcester County	SR-2	1
Nov 9, 2021	Raynham Center, Bristol County	I-495	2
Nov 9, 2021	Brockton, Plymouth County	SR-28 MAIN ST	1
Nov 8, 2021	Stoneham, Middlesex County	FRANKLIN ST	1
Nov 7, 2021	Sharon, Norfolk County	US-1	1
Nov 5, 2021	Lenox, Berkshire County	EAST ST	1
Nov 5, 2021	Brookline Village, Norfolk County	WASHINGTON ST	1
Nov 5, 2021	Springfield, Hampden County	US-20 PAGE BLVD	1
Nov 4, 2021	Worcester County	MAPLE ST	1
Nov 4, 2021	Springfield, Hampden County	VERGE ST	1
Nov 3, 2021	Springfield, Hampden County	STATE RD	1
Nov 2, 2021	Springfield, Hampden County	PAGE BLVD	1

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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.

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

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

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