States › Alabama › 2021

2021

Alabama in 2021

Deaths 983Fatal crashes 885Per 100,000 19.5US deaths 43,230

FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Final FARS file for 2021.

In 2021, 983 people died in 885 fatal crashes in Alabama, 19.5 deaths per 100,000 residents against 13.0 nationally.

The death toll rose 5% from 934 in 2020 to 983 in 2021.

Alabama accounted for 2.3% of the 43,230 crash deaths recorded nationally that year.

24.4% of the state's fatal crashes that year had at least one driver reported as drinking.

By FHWA road function class, the largest share was on other principal arterial roads (28%).

34% of the crashes happened between 6pm to midnight; Friday was the most common day.

← 202020212022 →All years

Compared with 2020 and the nation

Measure	Alabama 2021	Alabama 2020	United States 2021
Deaths	983	934	43,230
Fatal crashes	885	852	39,785
Deaths per 100,000 residents	19.5	18.6	13.0
Crashes with a drinking driver	24%	23%	26%

Counties in 2021

Every county with a fatal crash in 2021, by deaths. Counts under three are shown as "1–2" (small-count rule); the per-100,000 column is blank for them. 67 counties listed.

County	Fatal crashes	Deaths	Per 100,000	Deaths 2015–2024
Jefferson County	101	108	16.2	959
Mobile County	67	79	19.2	758
Madison County	48	52	12.3	424
Tuscaloosa County	40	48	19.9	381
Montgomery County	41	43	19.0	391
Baldwin County	22	26	9.9	316
Walker County	24	25	38.3	195
Talladega County	21	25	30.7	228
Marshall County	24	24	23.5	185
Limestone County	20	23	19.3	240
Russell County	20	20	34.0	164
Butler County	10	20	109.6	110
Lee County	19	19	10.1	193
Cullman County	17	19	20.5	240
Calhoun County	16	19	16.3	208
St. Clair County	15	19	19.6	196
Morgan County	15	18	14.3	182
DeKalb County	17	17	23.2	174
Houston County	17	17	15.5	162
Coffee County	15	17	30.2	104
Lawrence County	15	16	47.7	103
Shelby County	15	16	6.8	209
Chilton County	15	15	31.7	136
Etowah County	13	14	13.6	198
Autauga County	10	14	22.8	107
Sumter County	10	14	120.6	61
Elmore County	11	13	14.3	120
Lowndes County	9	12	126.5	67
Jackson County	10	11	20.5	147
Dale County	10	10	20.0	90
Dallas County	10	10	28.1	127
Lauderdale County	10	10	10.3	146
Macon County	10	10	55.1	92
Pike County	9	10	30.2	97
Chambers County	8	9	26.6	89
Cleburne County	8	9	56.6	65
Barbour County	8	8	32.8	66
Blount County	8	8	13.3	152
Marengo County	8	8	43.2	61
Winston County	8	8	33.5	69
Geneva County	6	8	29.3	70
Bullock County	7	7	70.7	52
Colbert County	7	7	11.9	132
Greene County	6	7	98.2	74
Bibb County	6	6	27.0	51
Covington County	6	6	15.9	86
Escambia County	6	6	16.4	108
Choctaw County	5	6	49.8	51
Cherokee County	5	5	19.1	93
Fayette County	5	5	31.5	41
Wilcox County	5	5	50.7	39
Crenshaw County	4	5	38.1	35
Hale County	4	5	33.1	38
Conecuh County	4	4	36.0	60
Marion County	4	4	13.6	71
Tallapoosa County	4	4	9.8	80
Clarke County	3	4	18.1	73
Lamar County	3	4	29.5	38
Pickens County	3	4	21.6	46
Franklin County	3	3	9.4	65
Monroe County	3	3	15.7	57
Randolph County	3	3	13.0	57
Clay County	1–2	1–2	—	33
Coosa County	1–2	1–2	—	50
Henry County	1–2	1–2	—	28
Perry County	1–2	1–2	—	27
Washington County	1–2	1–2	—	38

Per 100,000 uses the 2024 population estimate for every year, so early-year rates are understated where a county has grown.

Hour of day

12am3.3%

1am3.7%

2am3.1%

3am3.5%

4am2.3%

5am2.8%

6am2.6%

7am3.5%

8am2.4%

9am1.7%

10am3.9%

11am2.6%

12pm5.6%

1pm3.6%

2pm4.9%

3pm4.7%

4pm5.7%

5pm5.9%

6pm7.4%

7pm6%

8pm6.8%

9pm5.2%

10pm4.9%

11pm4%

Weekday

Sunday15%

Monday13%

Tuesday12%

Wednesday12%

Thursday15%

Friday17%

Saturday16%

Road type

Other principal arterial28%

Minor arterial23%

Major collector22%

Interstate15%

Local9%

Minor collector2%

Other freeways and expressways0%

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in Alabama in 2021?

983 people in 885 fatal crashes, according to NHTSA's FARS 2021 file, or 19.5 per 100,000 residents.

Which county in Alabama had the most crash deaths in 2021?

Jefferson County with 108 deaths in 101 fatal crashes. The table on this page lists every county with a fatal crash that year.

How did 2021 compare with 2020 in Alabama?

983 deaths against 934 in 2020 (+5%). Nationally the 2021 total was 43,230.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2021 national file (accident table, vehicle and person tables); US Census Bureau population estimates. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026.