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
| 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%
| 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%
| 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
| 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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| 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
| 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
Crashes
Fatal crashes involving this vehicle
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 14, 2021 | Weld County, Colorado | I-25 | 1 |
| Jan 13, 2021 | Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana | MERIDIAN ST | 1 |
| Jan 5, 2021 | Redondo Beach, Los Angeles County, California | SR-107 HAWTHORNE BL | 1 |
| Jan 2, 2021 | Cleveland County, North Carolina | SR-161 | 1 |
| Dec 19, 2020 | Vineyard Haven, Dukes County, Massachusetts | BEACH RD | 1 |
| Nov 27, 2020 | Santa Cruz County, California | AMESTI RD | 1 |
| Nov 18, 2020 | Bucks County, Pennsylvania | US-13 BRISTOL PIKE | 1 |
| Nov 9, 2020 | Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana | SR-35 | 1 |
| Nov 8, 2020 | Itawamba County, Mississippi | SR-178 | 1 |
| Oct 11, 2020 | Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio | CR-2001 BLUE AV | 1 |
| Oct 7, 2020 | Orange City, Volusia County, Florida | US-17 | 1 |
| Sep 24, 2020 | Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee | I-240 RAMP | 2 |
| Sep 19, 2020 | Hancock County, Indiana | I-70 | 2 |
| Sep 17, 2020 | Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas | ALPHA RD | 1 |
| Sep 16, 2020 | Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut | SR-99 | 1 |
| Aug 29, 2020 | Coryell County, Texas | FM 116 | 1 |
| Aug 19, 2020 | Los Angeles County, California | SR-72 WHITTIER BLVD | 1 |
| Aug 18, 2020 | Pearl River County, Mississippi | SR-43 | 1 |
| Aug 6, 2020 | Seabrook, Harris County, Texas | REPSDORPH RD | 1 |
| Aug 2, 2020 | Sedgwick County, Kansas | N 135TH ST | 1 |
| Jul 26, 2020 | Sellersburg, Clark County, Indiana | MEYER LOOP | 1 |
| Jul 21, 2020 | Forest Park, Clayton County, Georgia | I-75 | 1 |
| Jul 18, 2020 | Middlesex County, Virginia | US-17 | 2 |
| Jul 17, 2020 | Orange County, North Carolina | US-70 | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2020 | Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts | I-495 N | 1 |
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.