An estimated 40,990 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in the United States last year, according to the 2025 Roadmap to Safety. Speeding, impairment, distraction and unfastened seat belts were major factors contributing to this high figure. According to the report, the estimated number of fatalities in 2023 marked a decrease of 3.6 percent from 2022.
While the impact to human life is clearly the greatest loss, not only to those directly involved in a crash but also to the friends, families and communities who must bear the fall-out of such accidents, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety calculate that these events have staggering financial costs too. In 2019, the annual economic cost of vehicle crashes was estimated at $340 billion, according to the source. Updated for inflation only, that number rises to $417 billion in 2024. Furthermore, according to the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), motor vehicle crashes cost employers $72.2 billion in direct crash-related expenses in 2019. Based on these figures, the report states: “Each person in the U.S. essentially pays an annual “cash tax” of nearly $1,268”.
