Fatal crash profile · State

Traffic deaths in Rhode Island in 2021

Deaths, 2021: 63
Fatal crashes: 61
Population: 1.1M

In 2021, 63 people died in 61 fatal crashes in Rhode Island. That was 6.0% fewer than in 2020 (67) and the fewest since 2019. The death rate was 5.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. Rhode Island had the 50th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 51st-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 11% of deaths, and 30% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.

Deaths

Traffic deaths

5.7

deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021

About 45 percent of the rate in the United States: 13.0

-6%

change in deaths from 2020 to 2021

67 deaths in 2020, 63 in 2021

The United States: +11%

Rhode Island traffic deaths by year goes back to 1975.

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

Road users

Who died

11%

of deaths were pedestrians

About two-thirds of the share in the United States: 17%

Who died in 2021

Category	Deaths
Vehicle occupants and others	41
Pedestrians	7
Motorcyclists	13
Cyclists	2

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Deaths by type, 2021
Type	Deaths	Share in Rhode Island	Share in the US
Pedestrians	7	11%	17%
Motorcyclists	13	21%	14%
Cyclists	2	3%	2%
Alcohol-impaired driving crashes	24	38%	31%
Speeding-related crashes	20	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

30%

of fatal crashes were speeding-related

About the same as the share in the United States: 28%

41%

of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver

About 1.6 times the share in the United States: 26%

Crash factors in 2021

Category	Rhode Island	United States
Speeding-related	41.0%	26.3%
Alcohol-involved	29.5%	28.2%
At night	57.4%	53.9%
At weekends	32.8%	32.8%

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

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Timing

When crashes happen

57%

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%

Fatal crashes by hour of day

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

All crashes 2021.

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Fatal crashes by day of week

Category	Fatal crashes
Sun	11
Mon	7
Tue	10
Wed	6
Thu	9
Fri	9
Sat	9

All crashes 2021.

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Fatal crashes by month

Category	Fatal crashes
Jan	6
Feb	1
Mar	7
Apr	8
May	4
Jun	6
Jul	6
Aug	6
Sep	5
Oct	2
Nov	7
Dec	3

All crashes 2021.

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Conditions

Weather and light

Weather at the time of the crash

Category	Fatal crashes
Clear	51
Rain	7
Fog, Smog, Smoke	2
Cloudy	1

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	26
Dark - Lighted	15
Dark - Not Lighted	13
Dusk	3
Dark - Unknown Lighting	2
Dawn	2

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-95 SOUTH6
SR-24
SR-1173
SR-443
SR-53
I-95 NORTH2
SR-1382
SR-142
SR-1462
US-12

Road names as recorded in police reports.

Vehicles involved, by type

Category	Vehicles
Cars	47
SUVs	17
Motorcycles	13
Pickup trucks	13
Medium and heavy trucks	3
Vans	1

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
Jul 16, 2021	Providence, Providence County	SR-14	1
Jul 14, 2021	Providence, Providence County	SR-146	1
Jul 8, 2021	Cranston, Providence County	SR-5	1
Jul 1, 2021	Richmond, Washington County	SR-138	1
Jun 30, 2021	Johnston, Providence County	SR-128	1
Jun 22, 2021	Smithfield, Providence County	LIMEROCK ROAD	1
Jun 20, 2021	Washington, Kent County	SR-14	1
Jun 19, 2021	Richmond, Washington County	SR-3	1
Jun 10, 2021	Westerly, Washington County	BOOMBRIDGE ROAD	1
Jun 6, 2021	Smithfield, Providence County	AUSTIN AVENUE	1
May 28, 2021	Woonsocket, Providence County	PROVIDENCE ST	1
May 26, 2021	Tiverton, Newport County	BULGARMARSH ROAD	1
May 23, 2021	Providence, Providence County	I-95 NORTH	1
May 2, 2021	Washington, Kent County	SR-117 FLAT RIVER ROAD	1
Apr 27, 2021	Warwick, Kent County	I-95 SOUTH	1
Apr 24, 2021	Westerly, Washington County	SHORE RD	1
Apr 18, 2021	Washington, Kent County	SR-117 FLAT RIVER RD	1
Apr 16, 2021	Woonsocket, Providence County	HARRIS AV	1
Apr 10, 2021	West Greenwich, Kent County	I-95 SOUTH	1
Apr 9, 2021	Providence, Providence County	I-95 SOUTH	1
Apr 8, 2021	Pawtucket, Providence County	I-95 SOUTH	1
Apr 8, 2021	Pawtucket, Providence County	EAST AVENUE	1
Mar 30, 2021	Westerly, Washington County	US-1	1
Mar 27, 2021	Pawtucket, Providence County	I-95	1
Mar 26, 2021	Cranston, Providence County	SR-12	1

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Explore

Nearby and related

Counties in Rhode Island in 2021

Area	Deaths, 2021	Per 100,000
Bristol County	0	—
Kent County	14	8.2
Newport County	2	2.3
Providence County	35	5.3
Washington County	12	9.2

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.