Fatality Facts 2006

General

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among Americans 2-34 years old.¹ According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the total societal cost of these crashes exceeds $200 billion annually.² Contributing to the death toll are alcohol, speed, lack of seat belt use, and other problematic driver behaviors. Death rates vary widely by vehicle type, driver age and gender, and other factors.

In 1975, the U.S. Department of Transportation started an annual census of motor vehicle deaths, recording information on crash type, vehicle type, road type, driver characteristics, and a variety of other factors. Institute researchers analyze these data each year to quantify the public health problem of motor vehicle deaths.

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Overview

A total of 42,642 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2006. This is 4 percent fewer than in 1975 but 9 percent more than the lowest point in 1992. These deaths occurred in 38,588 crashes involving 57,943 motor vehicles. Since 1992, the number of fatalities has fluctuated within a fairly narrow range, from about 39,000 to over 43,000, but deaths in 2006 are the lowest in five years.

Number of deaths, crashes, and motor vehicles, 1975-2006
Year	Deaths	Crashes	Motor vehicles
1975	44,525	39,161	55,534
1976	45,523	39,747	56,084
1977	47,878	42,211	60,516
1978	50,331	44,433	64,144
1979	51,093	45,223	64,762
1980	51,091	45,284	63,484
1981	49,301	44,000	62,698
1982	43,945	39,092	56,449
1983	42,589	37,976	55,103
1984	44,257	39,631	57,970
1985	43,825	39,196	58,271
1986	46,087	41,090	60,792
1987	46,390	41,438	61,836
1988	47,087	42,130	62,702
1989	45,582	40,741	60,870
1990	44,599	39,836	59,292
1991	41,508	36,937	54,794
1992	39,250	34,942	52,227
1993	40,150	35,780	53,777
1994	40,716	36,254	54,906
1995	41,817	37,241	56,524
1996	42,065	37,494	57,347
1997	42,013	37,324	57,037
1998	41,501	37,107	56,920
1999	41,717	37,140	56,820
2000	41,945	37,526	57,594
2001	42,196	37,862	57,918
2002	43,005	38,491	58,426
2003	42,884	38,477	58,877
2004	42,836	38,444	58,729
2005	43,510	39,252	59,495
2006	42,642	38,588	57,943

Although the U.S. population has been growing steadily since 1975, the rate of motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 population has declined by 31 percent. During the past decade, the death rate increased for motorcyclists, but decreased for occupants of passenger vehicles (cars, pickups, SUVs, and vans) and pedestrians, and was essentially unchanged for bicyclists and occupants of large trucks.

Motor vehicle crash deaths and deaths per 100,000 people, 1975-2006

Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people by type, 1975-2006
Year	Population	Passenger vehicle occupants		Pedestrians		Motorcyclists		Bicyclists		Large truck occupants		All motor vehicle deaths*
Year	Population	Num	Rate	Num	Rate	Num	Rate	Num	Rate	Num	Rate	Num	Rate
1975	215,973,199	30,601	14.2	7,516	3.5	3,106	1.4	1,003	0.5	916	0.4	44,525	20.6
1976	218,035,164	31,724	14.5	7,427	3.4	3,232	1.5	914	0.4	1,100	0.5	45,523	20.9
1977	220,239,425	32,823	14.9	7,732	3.5	4,004	1.8	922	0.4	1,229	0.6	47,878	21.7
1978	222,584,545	34,923	15.7	7,795	3.5	4,448	2.0	892	0.4	1,315	0.6	50,331	22.6
1979	225,055,487	35,026	15.6	8,096	3.6	4,712	2.1	932	0.4	1,372	0.6	51,093	22.7
1980	227,224,719	34,995	15.4	8,070	3.6	4,955	2.2	965	0.4	1,183	0.5	51,091	22.5
1981	229,465,608	33,711	14.7	7,837	3.4	4,737	2.1	936	0.4	1,082	0.5	49,301	21.5
1982	231,664,496	29,654	12.8	7,331	3.2	4,267	1.8	864	0.4	917	0.4	43,945	19.0
1983	233,791,903	29,153	12.5	6,826	2.9	4,099	1.8	830	0.4	960	0.4	42,589	18.2
1984	235,824,783	30,091	12.8	7,025	3.0	4,425	1.9	838	0.4	1,040	0.4	44,257	18.8
1985	237,923,732	29,847	12.5	6,808	2.9	4,415	1.9	869	0.4	941	0.4	43,825	18.4
1986	240,132,841	32,224	13.4	6,779	2.8	4,309	1.8	929	0.4	892	0.4	46,087	19.2
1987	242,289,023	33,145	13.7	6,745	2.8	3,832	1.6	940	0.4	821	0.3	46,390	19.1
1988	244,498,836	34,105	13.9	6,870	2.8	3,491	1.4	901	0.4	886	0.4	47,087	19.3
1989	246,819,119	33,599	13.6	6,556	2.7	3,030	1.2	822	0.3	822	0.3	45,582	18.5
1990	249,464,396	32,711	13.1	6,482	2.6	3,128	1.3	853	0.3	684	0.3	44,599	17.9
1991	252,153,092	30,810	12.2	5,801	2.3	2,702	1.1	836	0.3	650	0.3	41,508	16.5
1992	255,029,699	29,457	11.6	5,549	2.2	2,291	0.9	717	0.3	580	0.2	39,250	15.4
1993	257,782,608	29,994	11.6	5,649	2.2	2,346	0.9	806	0.3	590	0.2	40,150	15.6
1994	260,327,021	30,816	11.8	5,489	2.1	2,215	0.9	796	0.3	658	0.3	40,716	15.6
1995	262,803,276	31,913	12.1	5,584	2.1	2,138	0.8	828	0.3	634	0.2	41,817	15.9
1996	265,228,572	32,354	12.2	5,449	2.1	2,077	0.8	761	0.3	602	0.2	42,065	15.9
1997	267,783,607	32,331	12.1	5,321	2.0	2,056	0.8	811	0.3	717	0.3	42,013	15.7
1998	270,248,003	31,779	11.8	5,228	1.9	2,227	0.8	757	0.3	739	0.3	41,501	15.4
1999	272,690,813	32,008	11.7	4,939	1.8	2,419	0.9	750	0.3	747	0.3	41,717	15.3
2000	282,192,162	32,109	11.4	4,763	1.7	2,829	1.0	689	0.2	737	0.3	41,945	14.9
2001	285,102,075	31,938	11.2	4,901	1.7	3,123	1.1	729	0.3	691	0.2	42,196	14.8
2002	287,941,220	32,724	11.4	4,851	1.7	3,187	1.1	663	0.2	675	0.2	43,005	14.9
2003	290,788,976	32,166	11.1	4,774	1.6	3,641	1.3	626	0.2	703	0.2	42,884	14.7
2004	293,655,404	31,750	10.8	4,675	1.6	3,904	1.3	722	0.2	743	0.3	42,836	14.6
2005	296,410,404	31,455	10.6	4,892	1.7	4,460	1.5	784	0.3	758	0.3	43,510	14.7
2006	299,398,484	30,476	10.2	4,784	1.6	4,697	1.6	770	0.3	753	0.3	42,642	14.2
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

Seventy-one percent of motor vehicle fatalities in 2006 were passenger vehicle occupants, 11 percent were pedestrians, 11 percent were motorcyclists, 2 percent were bicyclists, and 2 percent were occupants of large trucks.

Motor vehicle crash deaths by type, 1975-2006
Year	Passenger vehicle occupants		Pedestrians		Motorcyclists		Bicyclists		Large truck occupants		Other		All motor vehicle deaths
Year	Num	%	Num	%	Num	%	Num	%	Num	%	Num	%	Num
1975	30,601	69	7,516	17	3,106	7	1,003	2	916	2	1,383	3	44,525
1976	31,724	70	7,427	16	3,232	7	914	2	1,100	2	1,126	2	45,523
1977	32,823	69	7,732	16	4,004	8	922	2	1,229	3	1,168	2	47,878
1978	34,923	69	7,795	15	4,448	9	892	2	1,315	3	958	2	50,331
1979	35,026	69	8,096	16	4,712	9	932	2	1,372	3	955	2	51,093
1980	34,995	68	8,070	16	4,955	10	965	2	1,183	2	923	2	51,091
1981	33,711	68	7,837	16	4,737	10	936	2	1,082	2	998	2	49,301
1982	29,654	67	7,331	17	4,267	10	864	2	917	2	912	2	43,945
1983	29,153	68	6,826	16	4,099	10	830	2	960	2	721	2	42,589
1984	30,091	68	7,025	16	4,425	10	838	2	1,040	2	838	2	44,257
1985	29,847	68	6,808	16	4,415	10	869	2	941	2	945	2	43,825
1986	32,224	70	6,779	15	4,309	9	929	2	892	2	954	2	46,087
1987	33,145	71	6,745	15	3,832	8	940	2	821	2	907	2	46,390
1988	34,105	72	6,870	15	3,491	7	901	2	886	2	834	2	47,087
1989	33,599	74	6,556	14	3,030	7	822	2	822	2	753	2	45,582
1990	32,711	73	6,482	15	3,128	7	853	2	684	2	741	2	44,599
1991	30,810	74	5,801	14	2,702	7	836	2	650	2	709	2	41,508
1992	29,457	75	5,549	14	2,291	6	717	2	580	1	656	2	39,250
1993	29,994	75	5,649	14	2,346	6	806	2	590	1	765	2	40,150
1994	30,816	76	5,489	13	2,215	5	796	2	658	2	742	2	40,716
1995	31,913	76	5,584	13	2,138	5	828	2	634	2	720	2	41,817
1996	32,354	77	5,449	13	2,077	5	761	2	602	1	822	2	42,065
1997	32,331	77	5,321	13	2,056	5	811	2	717	2	777	2	42,013
1998	31,779	77	5,228	13	2,227	5	757	2	739	2	771	2	41,501
1999	32,008	77	4,939	12	2,419	6	750	2	747	2	854	2	41,717
2000	32,109	77	4,763	11	2,829	7	689	2	737	2	818	2	41,945
2001	31,938	76	4,901	12	3,123	7	729	2	691	2	814	2	42,196
2002	32,724	76	4,851	11	3,187	7	663	2	675	2	905	2	43,005
2003	32,166	75	4,774	11	3,641	8	626	1	703	2	974	2	42,884
2004	31,750	74	4,675	11	3,904	9	722	2	743	2	1,042	2	42,836
2005	31,455	72	4,892	11	4,460	10	784	2	758	2	1,161	3	43,510
2006	30,476	71	4,784	11	4,697	11	770	2	753	2	1,162	3	42,642

Age and gender

The rate of motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people in 2006 was especially high among 16-24 year-olds. At all ages, males had higher death rates than females. Males ages 20-24 had the highest rate of motor vehicle crash deaths.

Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 people by age and gender, 2006
Age	Male			Female			Total*
Age	Population	Deaths	Rate	Population	Deaths	Rate	Population	Deaths	Rate
<13	26,755,298	755	2.8	25,551,610	669	2.6	52,306,908	1,426	2.7
13-15	6,543,085	451	6.9	6,232,894	295	4.7	12,775,979	747	5.8
16-19	8,718,360	2,953	33.9	8,277,859	1,437	17.4	16,996,219	4,409	25.9
20-24	10,910,090	4,554	41.7	10,201,150	1,377	13.5	21,111,240	5,950	28.2
25-29	10,584,270	3,093	29.2	10,125,210	920	9.1	20,709,480	4,025	19.4
30-34	9,980,383	2,367	23.7	9,726,116	767	7.9	19,706,499	3,144	16.0
35-39	10,649,913	2,205	20.7	10,535,872	849	8.1	21,185,785	3,065	14.5
40-44	11,200,369	2,331	20.8	11,280,796	959	8.5	22,481,165	3,296	14.7
45-49	11,261,856	2,444	21.7	11,535,713	888	7.7	22,797,569	3,343	14.7
50-54	10,027,772	2,089	20.8	10,452,833	785	7.5	20,480,605	2,889	14.1
55-59	8,845,291	1,684	19.0	9,379,154	709	7.6	18,224,445	2,400	13.2
60-64	6,378,589	1,172	18.4	6,983,649	596	8.5	13,362,238	1,778	13.3
65-69	4,838,842	910	18.8	5,536,712	490	8.9	10,375,554	1,406	13.6
70-74	3,831,425	716	18.7	4,709,865	486	10.3	8,541,290	1,205	14.1
75-79	3,119,130	733	23.5	4,261,897	530	12.4	7,381,027	1,271	17.2
80-84	2,179,201	605	27.8	3,486,463	545	15.6	5,665,664	1,153	20.4
≥85	1,688,278	554	32.8	3,608,539	421	11.7	5,296,817	982	18.5
Total*	147,512,152	29,722	20.1	151,886,332	12,747	8.4	299,398,484	42,642	14.2
*Total includes other and/or unknowns

References

¹National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. 2004. WISQARS leading cause of death reports, 1999-2004. Atlanta, GA. Available: http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/leadcaus10.html.

² Blincoe, L.J.; Seay, A.G.; Zaloshnja, E.; Miller, T.R.; Romano, E.O.; Luchter, S.; and Spicer R.S. 2002. The economic impact of motor vehicle crashes 2000. Report no. DOT-HS-809-446. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation.