Fatal crash profile · State
Traffic deaths in North Carolina in 2021
State in United States
- Deaths, 2021
- 1,693
- Fatal crashes
- 1,563
- Population
- 10.6M
In 2021, 1,693 people died in 1,563 fatal crashes in North Carolina, about 5 a day. That was 10.1% more than in 2020 (1,538) and the most in any year since 1975. The death rate was 16.0 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. North Carolina had the 5th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 17th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 15% of deaths, and 28% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
16.0
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021
- About 1.2 times the rate in the United States: 13.0
+10%
change in deaths from 2020 to 2021
1,538 deaths in 2020, 1,693 in 2021
- The United States: +11%
North Carolina traffic deaths by year goes back to 1975.
Road users
Who died
15%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 17%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 1,177 |
| Pedestrians | 254 |
| Motorcyclists | 239 |
| Cyclists | 23 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in North Carolina | Share in the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 254 | 15% | 17% |
| Motorcyclists | 239 | 14% | 14% |
| Cyclists | 23 | 1% | 2% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 480 | 28% | 31% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 487 | 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
28%
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: 26%
| Category | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 27.3% | 26.3% |
| Alcohol-involved | 28.0% | 28.2% |
| At night | 50.9% | 53.9% |
| At weekends | 33.1% | 32.8% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
51%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About the same as the share in the United States: 54%
33%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 51 |
| 1am | 46 |
| 2am | 76 |
| 3am | 33 |
| 4am | 35 |
| 5am | 23 |
| 6am | 53 |
| 7am | 56 |
| 8am | 41 |
| 9am | 31 |
| 10am | 47 |
| 11am | 63 |
| 12pm | 76 |
| 1pm | 70 |
| 2pm | 74 |
| 3pm | 69 |
| 4pm | 92 |
| 5pm | 93 |
| 6pm | 117 |
| 7pm | 79 |
| 8pm | 105 |
| 9pm | 90 |
| 10pm | 75 |
| 11pm | 65 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 250 |
| Mon | 214 |
| Tue | 177 |
| Wed | 192 |
| Thu | 201 |
| Fri | 261 |
| Sat | 268 |
All crashes 2021.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 123 |
| Feb | 81 |
| Mar | 107 |
| Apr | 166 |
| May | 141 |
| Jun | 144 |
| Jul | 144 |
| Aug | 127 |
| Sep | 131 |
| Oct | 158 |
| Nov | 107 |
| Dec | 134 |
All crashes 2021.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 1,270 |
| Cloudy | 160 |
| Rain | 110 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 18 |
| Snow | 1 |
All crashes 2021. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 774 |
| Dark - Not Lighted | 513 |
| Dark - Lighted | 192 |
| Dusk | 48 |
| Dawn | 26 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 3 |
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-8534
- I-4031
- I-9522
- US-7421
- US-6421
- US-42119
- I-7718
- US-7017
- SR-8715
- US-1713
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Cars | 989 |
| SUVs | 450 |
| Pickup trucks | 400 |
| Motorcycles | 243 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 166 |
| Vans | 119 |
| Other vehicles | 30 |
| Buses | 6 |
| Other light trucks | 3 |
All crashes 2021.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado76
- Honda Accord73
- Honda Civic68
- Ford F-15063
- Toyota Camry49
- Nissan Altima39
- Ford Explorer37
- Ford Ranger30
- Hyundai Sonata28
- Toyota Tacoma28
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 11, 2021 | Davidson County | SSR-1002 DENTON RD | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2021 | Lexington, Davidson County | I-85 | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2021 | Cleveland County | SSR-1161 PLEASANT RIDGE CHURCH | 1 |
| Jul 10, 2021 | Scotland County | US-74 | 1 |
| Jul 10, 2021 | Charlotte, Mecklenburg County | LASALLE ST | 1 |
| Jul 10, 2021 | Edgecombe County | SSR-1126 FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH | 1 |
| Jul 10, 2021 | Davie County | I-40 | 1 |
| Jul 10, 2021 | Cleveland County | SSR-2238 LONG BRANCH RD | 1 |
| Jul 9, 2021 | Jacksonville, Onslow County | US-17 N MARINE BLVD | 1 |
| Jul 9, 2021 | Charlotte, Mecklenburg County | SR-27 MOUNT HOLLY RD | 1 |
| Jul 9, 2021 | Winston Salem, Forsyth County | COLISEUM DR | 1 |
| Jul 8, 2021 | Raleigh, Wake County | SSR-2015 SPRING FOREST RD | 1 |
| Jul 8, 2021 | Orange County | SSR-1507 WILKERSON RD | 1 |
| Jul 8, 2021 | Granville County | SSR-1126 RANGE RD | 1 |
| Jul 7, 2021 | Durham County | I-85 | 1 |
| Jul 6, 2021 | Sanford, Lee County | US-421 HORNER BLVD | 1 |
| Jul 6, 2021 | Guilford County | SSR-2504 FAIRGROVE CHURCH RD | 1 |
| Jul 6, 2021 | Fayetteville, Cumberland County | SSR-1141 SOUTHERN AVE | 1 |
| Jul 5, 2021 | Charlotte, Mecklenburg County | HOSKINS MILL LN | 1 |
| Jul 5, 2021 | Stokesdale, Guilford County | I-73 | 1 |
| Jul 5, 2021 | Chatham County | US-15/SR-501 | 1 |
| Jul 4, 2021 | Wilkes County | SR-18 | 1 |
| Jul 4, 2021 | Robeson County | SSR-1723 E PARKTON TOBEMORY RD | 1 |
| Jul 4, 2021 | Polk County | SSR-1137 PENIEL RD | 1 |
| Jul 4, 2021 | Charlotte, Mecklenburg County | SR-160 WEST BLVD | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Counties in North Carolina in 2021
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.