Fatal crash profile · Model

Volkswagen Beetle

Compared with Volkswagen · All vehicles

Vehicles, 2020–2024
242
Fatal crashes
242
Deaths inside
176
Other deaths
90

Between 2020 and 2024, 242 vehicles described as Volkswagen Beetle were involved in 242 fatal crashes in the United States. 176 people died inside these vehicles and 90 people outside them (occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists) died in the same crashes.

Counts show how often this vehicle appears in fatal crashes. They also reflect how many are on the road, so they are not a safety rating. See how it compares with other cars or with all vehicles.

Overview

Vehicles in fatal crashes

Vehicles in fatal crashes by year
Category Vehicles
2020 38
2021 65
2022 44
2023 53
2024 42

Reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.

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Deaths

Who died in these crashes

66%

of deaths in these crashes were people inside these vehicles

  • About 1.4 times the share for Volkswagen: 47%
  • About 1.3 times the share for all vehicles: 51%
Deaths in these crashes by year
Category Inside these vehicles Other road users
2020 33 9
2021 55 20
2022 28 21
2023 35 22
2024 25 18

Other road users are occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists killed in the same crashes.

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Crash factors

Speeding, drinking and night-time crashes

21%

of these vehicles had a driver recorded as speeding

  • About the same as the share for Volkswagen: 20%
  • About the same as the share for all vehicles: 19%

21%

of these vehicles had a driver recorded as drinking

  • About the same as the share for Volkswagen: 20%
  • About 1.2 times the share for all vehicles: 18%

47%

of these vehicles crashed at night (6pm–6am)

  • About 85 percent of the share for Volkswagen: 56%
  • About the same as the share for all vehicles: 49%
Crash factors compared
Category Volkswagen Beetle Volkswagen All vehicles
Driver speeding 20.7% 19.9% 19.0%
Driver drinking 21.5% 19.8% 17.7%
At night 47.1% 56.1% 49.3%

Share of vehicles in fatal crashes. Speeding and drinking are as recorded for the driver in police reports.

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Conditions

Weather and light

Weather at the time of the crash
Category Fatal crashes
Clear 174
Cloudy 27
Rain 16
Fog, Smog, Smoke 2
Snow 2

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 118
Dark - Not Lighted 74
Dark - Lighted 35
Dusk 8
Dawn 5

Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.

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Where

States with the most crashes

States with the most of these vehicles in fatal crashes
Category Vehicles
Texas 23
California 20
Florida 16
Georgia 13
Indiana 11
Virginia 11
North Carolina 11
Michigan 11
Tennessee 10
Pennsylvania 10

Larger states have more vehicles on the road.

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Explore

Volkswagen Beetle by model year

Models and model years with fewer than 10 fatal crashes have no page of their own.

Crashes

Fatal crashes involving this vehicle

Date Location Deaths
May 21, 2021 Chilton County, Alabama 1
May 19, 2021 York County, Virginia 1
May 18, 2021 Washoe County, Nevada 1
May 17, 2021 Flint, Genesee County, Michigan 1
May 13, 2021 York County, Virginia 1
May 4, 2021 Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan 1
May 1, 2021 Bucks County, Pennsylvania 1
May 1, 2021 El Cajon, San Diego County, California 1
Apr 23, 2021 Johnston County, North Carolina 1
Apr 22, 2021 Greene County, Tennessee 1
Apr 17, 2021 Washoe County, Nevada 1
Apr 15, 2021 Sanford, Seminole County, Florida 1
Apr 7, 2021 Boyle, Bolivar County, Mississippi 1
Mar 12, 2021 Belleville, Wood County, West Virginia 1
Mar 9, 2021 Gainesville, Wyoming County, New York 2
Mar 6, 2021 Trumbull County, Ohio 1
Mar 5, 2021 Benton County, Washington 1
Feb 26, 2021 Henderson County, North Carolina 1
Feb 21, 2021 Glocester, Providence County, Rhode Island 1
Feb 11, 2021 Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 6
Feb 7, 2021 Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California 1
Feb 3, 2021 Laurens County, South Carolina 1
Jan 30, 2021 Ottawa, Franklin County, Kansas 2
Jan 28, 2021 Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon 1
Jan 27, 2021 Ocala, Marion County, Florida 1

Compare Volkswagen Beetle with another vehicle

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. Vehicle make and model as decoded by NHTSA's vPIC service. "All vehicles" covers every vehicle with a known make.