Fatal crash profile · State

Traffic deaths in West Virginia in 2021

State in United States

Deaths, 2021
282
Fatal crashes
259
Population
1.8M

In 2021, 282 people died in 259 fatal crashes in West Virginia. That was 5.6% more than in 2020 (267) and the most since 2018. The death rate was 15.8 per 100,000 residents, compared with 13.0 in the United States. West Virginia had the 37th most traffic deaths of the 51 states and DC and the 18th-highest death rate. Pedestrians accounted for 13% of deaths, and 23% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.

Deaths

Traffic deaths

15.8

deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021

  • About 1.2 times the rate in the United States: 13.0

+6%

change in deaths from 2020 to 2021

267 deaths in 2020, 282 in 2021

  • The United States: +11%

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

Road users

Who died

13%

of deaths were pedestrians

  • About three-quarters of the share in the United States: 17%
Who died in 2021
Category Deaths
Vehicle occupants and others 217
Pedestrians 36
Motorcyclists 29
Cyclists 0
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Deaths by type, 2021
Type Deaths Share in West Virginia Share in the US
Pedestrians 36 13% 17%
Motorcyclists 29 10% 14%
Cyclists 0 0% 2%
Alcohol-impaired driving crashes 65 23% 31%
Speeding-related crashes 64 23% 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

23%

of fatal crashes were speeding-related

  • About 80 percent of 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 2021
Category West Virginia United States
Speeding-related 28.2% 26.3%
Alcohol-involved 22.8% 28.2%
At night 46.3% 53.9%
At weekends 25.9% 32.8%

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

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Timing

When crashes happen

46%

of fatal crashes happened at night

  • About 85 percent of the share in the United States: 54%

26%

of fatal crashes happened at weekends

  • About 80 percent of the share in the United States: 33%
Fatal crashes by hour of day
Category Fatal crashes
12am 6
1am 6
2am 6
3am 9
4am 4
5am 4
6am 7
7am 6
8am 5
9am 4
10am 11
11am 16
12pm 8
1pm 16
2pm 16
3pm 7
4pm 21
5pm 22
6pm 17
7pm 17
8pm 18
9pm 13
10pm 10
11pm 10

All crashes 2021.

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Fatal crashes by day of week
Category Fatal crashes
Sun 32
Mon 30
Tue 32
Wed 34
Thu 42
Fri 54
Sat 35

All crashes 2021.

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Fatal crashes by month
Category Fatal crashes
Jan 26
Feb 9
Mar 12
Apr 20
May 23
Jun 26
Jul 22
Aug 25
Sep 23
Oct 24
Nov 22
Dec 27

All crashes 2021.

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Conditions

Weather and light

Weather at the time of the crash
Category Fatal crashes
Clear 188
Rain 32
Cloudy 19
Fog, Smog, Smoke 8
Snow 6
Other 3

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 143
Dark - Not Lighted 84
Dark - Lighted 19
Dusk 7
Dawn 5

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

  1. US-5013
  2. US-11912
  3. I-6411
  4. I-7911
  5. I-777
  6. SR-26
  7. US-606
  8. SR-96
  9. SR-165
  10. US-194

Road names as recorded in police reports.

Vehicles involved, by type
Category Vehicles
Cars 119
Pickup trucks 82
SUVs 70
Medium and heavy trucks 42
Motorcycles 31
Other vehicles 29
Vans 13
Buses 1

All crashes 2021.

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Vehicles most often involved

  1. Chevrolet Silverado18
  2. Ford F-15015
  3. Chevrolet Malibu8
  4. Dodge Ram8
  5. Chevrolet Equinox7
  6. Ford F-3507
  7. Ford Ranger6
  8. Nissan Rogue6
  9. Subaru Forester6
  10. Toyota Corolla6

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
Crash factors
Date Location Deaths
Jun 20, 2021 Leon, Mason County 1
Jun 19, 2021 Cross Lanes, Kanawha County 1
Jun 15, 2021 Berkeley County 1
Jun 15, 2021 Fort Seybert, Pendleton County 1
Jun 14, 2021 Shinnston, Harrison County 1
Jun 13, 2021 Morgantown, Monongalia County 1
Jun 13, 2021 Martinsburg, Berkeley County 1
Jun 12, 2021 Clendenin, Kanawha County 1
Jun 11, 2021 Alum Creek, Lincoln County 1
Jun 9, 2021 Moorefield, Hardy County 2
Jun 9, 2021 Ohio County 1
Jun 8, 2021 Cabin Creek, Kanawha County 1
Jun 6, 2021 Wayne County 1
Jun 5, 2021 Franklin, Pendleton County 1
Jun 3, 2021 Frametown, Braxton County 1
Jun 1, 2021 Hurricane, Putnam County 1
Jun 1, 2021 Martinsburg, Berkeley County 1
Jun 1, 2021 Hedgesville, Berkeley County 1
Jun 1, 2021 South Charleston, Kanawha County 2
May 31, 2021 Parkersburg, Wood County 1
May 31, 2021 Point Pleasant, Mason County 1
May 29, 2021 Philippi, Barbour County 1
May 28, 2021 Sod, Lincoln County 1
May 24, 2021 Morgantown, Monongalia County 1
May 23, 2021 Harrison County 1

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Counties in West Virginia in 2021

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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.