Fatality Facts 2024Males and females

Overview

Many more men than women die each year in motor vehicle crashes. Men typically drive more miles than women and are more likely to engage in risky driving practices, including not using seat belts, speeding and driving while impaired by alcohol. Crashes involving male drivers often are more severe than those involving female drivers (Billah et al., 2023).

However, females are more likely than males to be killed or injured in crashes of similar severity (Cronn et al., 2024). Differences in the types of vehicles men and women drive and the circumstances of their crashes account for much of the difference in risk (Brumbelow & Jermakian, 2022). The difference in fatality risk between male and female drivers has diminished in newer vehicles with improvements in crashworthiness and restraint design (Noh et al., 2022).

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

Posted June 2026.

Age differences

Based on an analysis of data from 2022 from FARS and the National Household Travel Survey, the number of driver fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles driven in 2022 was 48% higher for males (2.8 per 100 million miles traveled) than for females (1.9 per 100 million miles traveled). Among drivers ages 16-29, rates were substantially higher for males than for females, but the differences were smaller for ages 30-69. Rates were higher for females than for males among drivers ages 70 and over. 

Passenger vehicle fatal crash rates per 100 million miles traveled, by driver sex, 2022
Age Male Female Total*
Crash involvements Miles Rate Crash involvements Miles Rate Crash involvements Miles Rate
16-19 2,268 24,773,280,873 9.2 931 17,958,953,050 5.2 3,202 42,732,233,923 7.5
20-29 7,231 103,551,242,731 7.0 3,205 99,971,939,624 3.2 10,447 203,523,182,355 5.1
30-59 14,700 662,258,967,734 2.2 6,770 469,345,549,163 1.4 21,493 1,131,604,516,897 1.9
60-69 3,319 194,486,635,148 1.7 1,470 102,811,834,430 1.4 4,793 297,298,469,578 1.6
≥70 3,350 116,384,336,202 2.9 1,638 48,262,219,156 3.4 4,996 164,646,555,358 3.0
Total* 30,956 1,101,454,462,689 2.8 14,034 738,350,495,423 1.9 45,436 1,839,804,958,112 2.5

In 2024, the rates of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people were much higher among males than among females for every age group except occupants 0-15 years old. Male passenger vehicle occupants ages 80 years and older had the highest fatality rates, followed by males ages 20-24 years. Fatality rates were lowest among occupants 0-15 years old for both males and females.

Passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100,000 people by age and sex, 2024
Age Male Female Total*
Population Deaths Rate Population Deaths Rate Population Deaths Rate
0-15 32,756,132 399 1.2 31,305,703 403 1.3 64,061,835 805 1.3
16-19 9,227,470 1,240 13.4 8,784,660 525 6.0 18,012,130 1,768 9.8
20-24 11,451,815 1,740 15.2 10,970,121 742 6.8 22,421,936 2,484 11.1
25-29 11,390,736 1,354 11.9 11,069,140 627 5.7 22,459,876 1,983 8.8
30-34 12,127,715 1,371 11.3 11,866,273 625 5.3 23,993,988 1,997 8.3
35-39 11,702,213 1,176 10.0 11,467,859 527 4.6 23,170,072 1,705 7.4
40-44 11,253,735 1,029 9.1 11,115,417 479 4.3 22,369,152 1,509 6.7
45-49 10,129,805 831 8.2 10,164,244 384 3.8 20,294,049 1,216 6.0
50-54 10,192,640 902 8.8 10,293,667 428 4.2 20,486,307 1,330 6.5
55-59 10,051,985 928 9.2 10,307,943 395 3.8 20,359,928 1,326 6.5
60-64 10,363,023 928 9.0 10,938,774 414 3.8 21,301,797 1,343 6.3
65-69 9,297,585 801 8.6 10,191,886 450 4.4 19,489,471 1,251 6.4
70-74 7,402,084 619 8.4 8,553,407 441 5.2 15,955,491 1,060 6.6
75-79 5,435,868 654 12.0 6,557,458 454 6.9 11,993,326 1,110 9.3
80-84 3,141,063 487 15.5 4,165,424 378 9.1 7,306,487 865 11.8
≥85 2,414,013 525 21.7 4,021,130 386 9.6 6,435,143 913 14.2
Total 168,337,882 15,008 8.9 171,773,106 7,672 4.5 340,110,988 22,713 6.7

Alcohol involvement

Each year from 1982 to 2024, the proportion of fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08% has been substantially higher for males than for females, although the difference has been shrinking over recent years.

Fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers with BACs ≥ 0.08%, 1982-2024
Year Male Female Total*
Drivers killed Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08 Drivers killed Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08 Drivers killed Estimated deaths with BACs ≥ 0.08
Number Number % Number Number % Number Number %
1982 15,152 8,538 56 4,533 1,494 33 19,686 10,033 51
1983 14,644 8,077 55 4,710 1,455 31 19,356 9,533 49
1984 14,958 7,856 53 5,356 1,519 28 20,314 9,375 46
1985 14,823 7,336 49 5,283 1,348 26 20,108 8,685 43
1986 15,967 7,952 50 5,556 1,439 26 21,527 9,392 44
1987 16,174 7,807 48 6,017 1,553 26 22,193 9,362 42
1988 16,773 8,076 48 6,126 1,498 24 22,899 9,574 42
1989 16,299 7,705 47 6,262 1,491 24 22,562 9,195 41
1990 15,911 7,591 48 6,039 1,376 23 21,953 8,968 41
1991 14,819 6,918 47 5,722 1,325 23 20,541 8,242 40
1992 14,042 6,219 44 5,552 1,216 22 19,596 7,436 38
1993 14,347 6,127 43 5,738 1,212 21 20,086 7,340 37
1994 14,667 5,915 40 6,039 1,184 20 20,707 7,100 34
1995 15,219 6,241 41 6,292 1,273 20 21,511 7,515 35
1996 15,127 6,085 40 6,563 1,272 19 21,692 7,358 34
1997 15,092 5,840 39 6,685 1,248 19 21,782 7,091 33
1998 15,062 5,744 38 6,651 1,232 19 21,714 6,977 32
1999 15,310 5,856 38 6,658 1,162 17 21,971 7,019 32
2000 15,398 5,880 38 6,494 1,283 20 21,893 7,164 33
2001 15,465 5,983 39 6,467 1,250 19 21,933 7,233 33
2002 15,982 6,208 39 6,633 1,201 18 22,616 7,409 33
2003 15,616 5,958 38 6,652 1,183 18 22,270 7,142 32
2004 15,458 5,827 38 6,569 1,149 17 22,027 6,976 32
2005 15,623 5,920 38 6,392 1,205 19 22,018 7,127 32
2006 15,234 5,786 38 6,391 1,386 22 21,629 7,175 33
2007 14,601 5,833 40 5,890 1,215 21 20,493 7,049 34
2008 12,965 5,194 40 5,237 1,067 20 18,207 6,263 34
2009 11,886 4,732 40 4,904 1,048 21 16,791 5,780 34
2010 11,044 4,098 37 4,921 1,060 22 15,968 5,159 32
2011 10,820 4,099 38 4,672 951 20 15,496 5,052 33
2012 11,166 4,246 38 4,676 941 20 15,842 5,188 33
2013 10,882 4,107 38 4,610 983 21 15,495 5,092 33
2014 10,919 3,925 36 4,509 966 21 15,431 4,893 32
2015 11,762 3,911 33 4,792 997 21 16,560 4,910 30
2016 12,386 4,078 33 5,119 1,026 20 17,513 5,109 29
2017 12,459 4,079 33 5,166 1,014 20 17,632 5,095 29
2018 12,042 3,878 32 5,082 1,047 21 17,129 4,925 29
2019 11,820 3,744 32 4,901 1,012 21 16,739 4,765 28
2020 13,025 4,298 33 5,104 1,188 23 18,146 5,494 30
2021 14,381 4,800 33 5,750 1,348 23 20,155 6,157 31
2022 13,925 4,648 33 5,476 1,319 24 19,415 5,971 31
2023 12,895 4,308 33 5,211 1,242 24 18,123 5,558 31
2024 12,461 4,236 34 4,787 1,142 24 17,268 5,387 31

Speeding

Each year from 1982 to 2024, speeding was identified as a contributing factor for a greater percentage of male drivers than female drivers involved in fatal crashes.

Percentage of fatal crash involvements for male and female passenger vehicle drivers coded as speeding, 1982-2024
Year Male Female Total*
Drivers involved Coded as speeding Drivers involved Coded as speeding Drivers involved Coded as speeding
Number Number % Number Number % Number Number %
1982 34,509 9,184 27 10,407 1,658 16 45,320 10,888 24
1983 33,129 8,470 26 10,716 1,616 15 44,086 10,127 23
1984 34,369 8,457 25 11,612 1,767 15 46,261 10,283 22
1985 34,356 8,782 26 11,816 1,907 16 46,443 10,736 23
1986 36,389 9,698 27 12,433 2,000 16 49,167 11,753 24
1987 37,107 9,654 26 13,293 2,164 16 50,778 11,883 23
1988 37,965 9,957 26 13,637 2,127 16 51,936 12,138 23
1989 36,713 9,443 26 13,740 2,223 16 50,783 11,710 23
1990 35,654 8,878 25 13,424 1,953 15 49,394 10,881 22
1991 32,927 8,320 25 12,558 1,940 15 45,804 10,318 23
1992 31,599 7,683 24 12,345 1,807 15 44,210 9,549 22
1993 32,206 7,591 24 12,799 1,865 15 45,267 9,490 21
1994 32,768 7,555 23 13,285 1,944 15 46,338 9,543 21
1995 34,061 8,082 24 13,910 2,087 15 48,256 10,217 21
1996 33,865 7,892 23 14,556 2,173 15 48,713 10,110 21
1997 33,440 7,866 24 14,638 2,232 15 48,398 10,159 21
1998 33,081 7,551 23 14,780 2,121 14 48,154 9,738 20
1999 33,028 7,558 23 14,485 2,067 14 47,743 9,667 20
2000 33,339 7,370 22 14,437 2,101 15 48,054 9,518 20
2001 33,330 7,528 23 14,535 2,068 14 48,148 9,637 20
2002 33,895 8,224 24 14,609 2,228 15 48,798 10,495 22
2003 33,513 7,842 23 14,796 2,238 15 48,594 10,128 21
2004 32,768 7,602 23 14,934 2,140 14 47,935 9,777 20
2005 33,095 7,725 23 14,581 2,149 15 47,925 9,918 21
2006 31,989 7,659 24 14,268 2,140 15 46,469 9,837 21
2007 30,596 7,439 24 13,711 1,998 15 44,484 9,477 21
2008 27,166 6,374 23 12,133 1,830 15 39,474 8,227 21
2009 24,640 5,958 24 11,444 1,665 15 36,222 7,652 21
2010 23,559 5,686 24 11,399 1,765 15 35,095 7,487 21
2011 23,130 5,432 23 10,850 1,511 14 34,107 6,964 20
2012 24,058 5,571 23 11,199 1,577 14 35,401 7,164 20
2013 23,530 5,178 22 10,972 1,547 14 34,661 6,759 20
2014 23,759 5,003 21 10,895 1,365 13 34,842 6,409 18
2015 26,261 5,225 20 11,937 1,471 12 38,451 6,738 18
2016 27,550 5,377 20 12,907 1,619 13 40,767 7,045 17
2017 27,541 5,318 19 13,188 1,459 11 41,011 6,818 17
2018 27,069 5,165 19 12,890 1,410 11 40,222 6,621 16
2019 26,683 5,085 19 12,489 1,459 12 39,506 6,582 17
2020 28,485 6,166 22 12,558 1,614 13 41,329 7,841 19
2021 31,834 6,599 21 14,586 1,912 13 46,861 8,590 18
2022 31,199 6,393 20 14,083 1,752 12 45,728 8,236 18
2023 29,996 6,141 20 13,598 1,659 12 44,008 7,890 18
2024 28,724 5,830 20 12,765 1,513 12 41,912 7,439 18

The percent of fatal crash involvements for which drivers were coded as speeding was higher for men than for women across all age groups, and the difference was largest among drivers under 60 years of age. Drivers under 20 years of age had a higher rate of speeding-related fatal crash involvements than any other age group.

Percentage of fatal crash involvements for male and female passenger vehicle drivers coded as speeding by age, 2024
Age Male Female Total*
Drivers involved Coded as speeding Drivers involved Coded as speeding Drivers involved Coded as speeding
Number Number % Number Number % Number Number %
15-19 2,239 815 36 886 185 21 3,129 1,001 32
20-29 6,331 1,839 29 2,675 456 17 9,011 2,296 25
30-59 13,451 2,494 19 6,080 682 11 19,550 3,179 16
60-69 3,245 371 11 1,420 102 7 4,667 473 10
≥70 3,339 264 8 1,675 85 5 5,020 349 7
Total* 28,724 5,830 20 12,765 1,513 12 41,912 7,439 18