National Safety council estimates traffic crash fatalities down 13% in first half of this year

Traffic crashes claimed 13% fewer lives in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year; however, an estimated 18,720 lives were still lost, according to preliminary analysis by the National Safety Council.

“This decrease in traffic deaths represents tremendous progress and shows what’s possible when states and communities commit to proven safety strategies,” said Mark Chung, NSC executive vice president of safety leadership and advocacy, in a press release. “We’re seeing the results of states and localities implementing the Safe System Approach — focusing on safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles, safer people, and better post-crash care. This success demonstrates that when we work together using evidence-based solutions, we can save lives and make all road users safer.”

NSC found that decreased fatality rates varied widely across states. Ten states and the District of Columbia saw fatality decreases of 20% or more, with D.C. leading at a 67% reduction. California was next, with a 43% decrease, followed by Connecticut and Mississippi (both down 34%); Alaska (down 31%); Delaware (down 25%); Alabama, Kentucky, and Vermont (all down 21%); and Maryland and Minnesota (both down 20%).

Four states saw increases of 20% or more in traffic crash deaths: Hawaii (up 46%), Oklahoma (up 32%), Kansas (up 30%), and West Virginia (up 21%).

The rate of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.15, which is a 13.5% decrease compared to 2024 and 2023.

The latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), released in July, showed a 6.3% decrease in vehicle crash fatalities during the first three months of 2025.

NHTSA projected at the time that traffic fatalities dropped to 8,055 lives in Q1, marking the 12th consecutive quarterly decline. Q1 also saw the lowest estimated quarterly fatality rate in six years.

In April, NHTSA estimated that 39,345 people died in traffic crashes in 2024, which is a decrease of about 3.8% compared to the 40,901 fatalities reported in 2023. Last year was the first time since 2020 that fatalities fell below 40,000.

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