Deaths from motor vehicles in California 2014-2022
In 2022, the state of California reported almost 4,100 motor-vehicle deaths, a slight decrease from the year before. Death from motor-vehicles remains a relevant problem across the United States.
Motor-vehicle deaths in the United States
In the United States, a person’s lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident is around 1 in 93. Death rates from motor vehicles have decreased in recent years and are significantly lower than the rates recorded in the 1970s and 1980s. This is due to a mass improvement in car safety standards and features. For example, all states, with the exception of New Hampshire, have laws against not wearing safety belts.
Drinking and driving
One of the biggest causes of motor-vehicle deaths is driving while under the influence of alcohol. The state with the highest number of fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving in 2020 was Texas, followed by California and Florida. Passenger cars are the vehicle type most often involved in fatal crashes caused by alcohol-impaired drivers, with around 4,726 such accidents in the United States in 2020.
Motor-vehicle deaths in the United States
In the United States, a person’s lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident is around 1 in 93. Death rates from motor vehicles have decreased in recent years and are significantly lower than the rates recorded in the 1970s and 1980s. This is due to a mass improvement in car safety standards and features. For example, all states, with the exception of New Hampshire, have laws against not wearing safety belts.
Drinking and driving
One of the biggest causes of motor-vehicle deaths is driving while under the influence of alcohol. The state with the highest number of fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving in 2020 was Texas, followed by California and Florida. Passenger cars are the vehicle type most often involved in fatal crashes caused by alcohol-impaired drivers, with around 4,726 such accidents in the United States in 2020.
