National Safety Council preliminary data shows 12% decrease in U.S. vehicle crash fatalities

Preliminary data from the National Safety Council estimates 37,810 motor vehicle crash deaths in the U.S. in 2025 – a 12% decrease from 2024.

NSC data shows deaths decreased despite overall miles driven increasing by 0.9%.

Nine states and the District of Columbia experienced decreases of more than 15%:

• • D.C. by 52%
  • California by 40%
  • Rhode Island by 29%
  • Iowa by 24%
  • Minnesota by 21%
  • Mississippi by 19%
  • New York by 18%
  • Connecticut by 16%
  • Maryland by 16%
  • South Dakota by 16%

Eight states saw increases:

• • Hawaii by 25%
  • Wyoming by 12%
  • Kansas by 10%
  • New Mexico by 8%
  • Idaho by 7%
  • Louisiana by 5%
  • Vermont by 5%
  • Colorado by 3%

“The decrease in roadway fatalities is more than a number,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO, in a press release. “It represents lives saved, and families kept whole. It is also proof that our sustained efforts to make our roads safer are working. We must continue to work together as advocates, policymakers, and communities to build on this progress until no one ever loses their life on our roads again.”

This progress reflects the kind of coordinated, multi-stakeholder effort that the Road to Zero Coalition was built to advance, NSC states.

Led by NSC and established in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation, the coalition is the nation’s largest traffic safety alliance – uniting more than 650 organizations around a shared goal of eliminating roadway fatalities in the U.S. by 2050.

“Dangerous driving behaviors – including speeding, distracted and impaired driving – remain the leading cause of traffic deaths for all roadway users: pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and drivers,” the release states. “Addressing these risks requires driver education, infrastructure improvements, better vehicle design, legislation, and evidence-driven technology.”

NSC says it continues to advocate for proven safety technologies, including speed safety cameras, intelligent speed assistance, telematics, advanced impaired driving prevention technology, and automatic emergency braking. These tools have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing crashes and saving lives.

“Reducing traffic deaths requires coordinated government action based on the Safe System Approach,” NSC states in the release. “NSC urges the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to maintain its commitment to prioritize engagement with transportation stakeholders committed to reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050.

“This vision should also include collaboration with the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services, and allow for collaboration among technology providers, motor vehicle manufacturers, and safety advocates. By aligning federal, state, and local resources, requiring necessary vehicle technology, and supporting vital research, DOT can make a lasting impact on roadway safety.”

The Safe System Approach is a roadway safety model that NSC says has shown measurable success in eliminating preventable traffic fatalities.

The approach focuses on five key elements: safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles, safer people, and better post-crash care.

Motor vehicle fatality estimates are subject to slight fluctuations as data matures.

NSC uses data from the National Center for Health Statistics, an arm of the CDC, so that deaths occurring within 100 days of the crash and on both public and private roadways, such as parking lots and driveways, are included in its estimates.

Estimates for each state and month are available here.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) President David Harkey recently stated that while safety innovations aren’t free, coming at costs associated with new components and integrating them into vehicles, the benefits in terms of crashes prevented or mitigated and fatalities or injuries avoided far outweigh these costs.

The average new vehicle today costs over $50,000, but IIHS-HLDI says sufficiently safety-equipped vehicles come at half that cost.

“You can find a vehicle with state-of-the-art engineering to protect you and your family in the event of a crash, as well as proven technologies to keep you from crashing in the first place,” wrote Harkey.

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