Key facts
- First-half 2026 traffic deaths fell to 16,750 from 17,175 in the same period a year earlier, NHTSA said.
- The first-half fatality rate of 1.02 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was the lowest since 2014.
- Deaths fell 5% in the first quarter of 2026 but only 0.2% in the second quarter.
- Bicyclist deaths rose 4% to 1,148 in 2025, NHTSA said.
- A 2023 NHTSA study put crash costs at $340 billion to society and $1.37 trillion including quality-of-life valuations.
US traffic deaths fell 2.5% to 16,750 in the first half of 2026 from 17,175 in the same period a year earlier, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on November 10. The agency said the count was the lowest since 2015 and put 2026 on pace for a fifth straight year of declines.
The fatality rate fell to 1.02 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the lowest since 2014. Deaths fell 5% in the first three months of 2026 and 0.2% in the second three months, according to the agency.
For the full year 2025, traffic deaths fell to the lowest number since 2019 and the fatality rate was 1.10 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, the second-lowest yearly figure in US history, NHTSA said.
Bicyclist deaths remain an area of concern, rising 4% to 1,148 in 2025, the agency said. In 2023, bicyclist deaths hit their highest figure in more than four decades.
US traffic deaths jumped 10.8% in 2021 to 43,230, the most in a single year since 2005. Experts said that as roads became less crowded during the pandemic, some motorists perceived police as less likely to issue tickets, leading to riskier driving, and some drivers were more likely to drive impaired by alcohol or drugs consumed at home. The US fatality rate rose much higher than in other developed nations during the pandemic, the report said.
A 2023 NHTSA study found crashes directly cost taxpayers $30 billion and society as a whole $340 billion. Including quality-of-life valuations, the total cost to society ran to $1.37 trillion.