Fatal Roads

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CA

State

California

Residents 39,431,263Deaths 2024 3,876Deaths 2015–2024 39,702Counties 58Routes with pages 119

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. Latest data year: 2024.

In 2024, 3,876 people died in 3,583 fatal crashes in California; the ten years 2015–2024 total 39,702 deaths in 36,640 crashes.

That is 10.1 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 14% lower than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total rose 17% from 33,803 in 2005–2014 to 39,702 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, pedestrians stands out most: 26.0% of people killed against 17.1% nationally. 29.9% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 57.5% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Trinity County (52.5), Inyo County (46.3) and Colusa County (37.3).

3,876deaths in 20243,583 fatal crashes
10.1per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
+17%ten-year change in deaths33,803 → 39,702
28%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

02,7715,542197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 4,092 deaths1976: 4,395 deaths1977: 4,839 deaths1978: 5,310 deaths1979: 5,542 deaths1980: 5,496 deaths1981: 5,170 deaths1982: 4,615 deaths1983: 4,573 deaths1984: 5,020 deaths1985: 4,960 deaths1986: 5,253 deaths1987: 5,504 deaths1988: 5,392 deaths1989: 5,412 deaths1990: 5,192 deaths1991: 4,688 deaths1992: 4,192 deaths1993: 4,164 deaths1994: 4,232 deaths1995: 4,192 deaths1996: 3,989 deaths1997: 3,688 deaths1998: 3,494 deaths1999: 3,559 deaths2000: 3,753 deaths2001: 3,956 deaths2002: 4,088 deaths2003: 4,224 deaths2004: 4,120 deaths2005: 4,333 deaths2006: 4,240 deaths2007: 3,995 deaths2008: 3,434 deaths2009: 3,090 deaths2010: 2,720 deaths2011: 2,816 deaths2012: 2,966 deaths2013: 3,107 deaths2014: 3,102 deaths2015: 3,387 deaths2016: 3,837 deaths2017: 3,884 deaths2018: 3,798 deaths2019: 3,719 deaths2020: 3,980 deaths2021: 4,513 deaths2022: 4,539 deaths2023: 4,169 deaths2024: 3,876 deaths
People killed in crashes in California by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 3,876 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

08152000200520102015202020242000: 112001: 11.52002: 11.72003: 122004: 11.62005: 12.12006: 11.82007: 112008: 9.42009: 8.42010: 7.32011: 7.52012: 7.82013: 8.12014: 82015: 8.72016: 9.82017: 9.92018: 9.62019: 9.42020: 10.12021: 11.52022: 11.62023: 10.62024: 9.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents in California and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 9.8. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureCaliforniaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202410.111.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 20249.811.5
Deaths, 2015–202439,702389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years+17%+7%
Share of the national toll10.2%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking27.9%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver30.2%
Pedestriansshare of people killed26%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed14.1%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used38%
In darknesscrashes after dark57.5%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads29.9%

tick marks the US share. Bars are shares of fatal crashes (alcohol, speeding, darkness, rural) or of people killed (pedestrians, motorcyclists, unrestrained occupants) over the ten-year window.

Counties ranked by rate

Deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024. Small counties on through routes can rank high on few deaths; the deaths column gives the scale. Counties with fewer than 10 fatal crashes in the ten years show no factor shares.

#CountyResidentsDeaths 2015–2024Per 100k / yrDeaths 2024AlcoholSpeeding
1Alpine County1,09919169.41–241%53%
2Trinity County15,6427552.5644%21%
3Inyo County18,4858546.31522%13%
4Sierra County3,1131445.31–214%50%
5Colusa County22,0748137.3823%19%
6Mono County12,9914835.0642%21%
7Modoc County8,4913034.3425%14%
8Siskiyou County42,49813831.71242%26%
9Lassen County28,3409029.4329%25%
10Amador County42,02611729.3739%18%
11Glenn County28,3048229.1827%22%
12Calaveras County46,50513128.51341%22%
13Del Norte County27,0097627.8625%32%
14Tehama County64,45117126.51335%21%
15Lake County67,76417526.42532%20%
16Mendocino County89,17522425.21433%28%
17Plumas County18,8344825.21–236%39%
18Tuolumne County53,89313024.01138%18%
19Madera County165,43234822.03332%26%
20Merced County296,77459421.24629%22%
21Kern County922,5291,80820.119429%26%
22Yuba County87,46915919.81429%26%
23Sutter County98,54519019.52032%26%
24Kings County154,91328819.03033%24%
25Humboldt County132,38024918.42636%23%
26Shasta County181,12132818.23334%25%
27Mariposa County17,0483118.01–248%17%
28Imperial County181,72432317.92627%24%
29San Benito County69,15911317.71133%23%
30Butte County208,33438217.63432%31%
31Tulare County483,54679316.97234%23%
32San Bernardino County2,214,2813,50916.235026%32%
33San Joaquin County816,1081,23716.113931%32%
34Fresno County1,024,1251,57515.716930%28%
35Stanislaus County556,97283015.18829%27%
36Nevada County102,19514814.7834%31%
37Yolo County225,25127812.72128%29%
38El Dorado County192,82324012.61733%37%
39Riverside County2,529,9333,06512.528932%31%
40Sacramento County1,611,2311,75711.315629%28%
41Monterey County436,25148111.14537%21%
42Napa County132,72715211.11133%23%
43San Luis Obispo County281,84330810.93037%28%
44Solano County455,10146510.44130%34%
45Santa Barbara County444,5003808.63830%30%
46San Diego County3,298,7992,7358.330328%30%
47Placer County433,8223348.34030%29%
48Sonoma County485,3753897.92932%25%
49Santa Cruz County262,4062147.91633%27%
50Los Angeles County9,757,1797,7837.877821%35%
51Contra Costa County1,172,6078117.06632%35%
52Ventura County835,4275766.85833%30%
53Orange County3,170,4352,0886.619927%31%
54Santa Clara County1,926,3251,1956.210025%29%
55Alameda County1,649,0609655.810026%40%
56San Mateo County742,8933694.93021%33%
57Marin County256,4001224.71127%33%
58San Francisco County827,5263564.24811%31%

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 5Interstate1,3371,52628%32%
2US Route 101US highway1,0241,10029%26%
3State Route 99State highway75484529%27%
4Interstate 15Interstate62069932%35%
5Interstate 10Interstate60567526%34%
6State Route 1State highway50255227%29%
7Interstate 80Interstate44549729%34%
8Interstate 405Interstate25627630%40%
9State Route 91State highway25226435%37%
10State Route 60State highway24526334%41%
11State Route 4State highway22625535%29%
12Interstate 8Interstate21122928%29%
13State Route 74State highway20721921%31%
14Interstate 215Interstate18319532%37%
15State Route 138State highway17319821%20%
16State Route 20State highway17219328%23%
17US Route 395US highway16722029%20%
18State Route 41State highway16518933%25%
19Interstate 580Interstate16317229%44%
20Interstate 880Interstate15616826%39%
21State Route 49State highway15316533%26%
22US Route 50US highway15016735%33%
23State Route 58State highway13515030%27%
24Interstate 680Interstate13514627%33%
25State Route 33State highway13416033%22%
26State Route 14State highway12914632%31%
27State Route 78State highway12814436%26%
28State Route 210State highway12814337%35%
29State Route 152State highway12413919%27%
30Interstate 110Interstate12313623%29%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 119 routes in California qualify. Local streets and county roads are not listed. Long routes carry more traffic and so more crashes; this is a count, not a rate.

Time of day and day of week

12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Fatal crashes in California by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 35,948 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday17%
Sunday17%
Friday15%
Thursday13%
Monday13%
Wednesday12%
Tuesday12%

Light condition

Daylight38%
Dark, lighted32%
Dark, not lighted25%
Dusk2%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown1%

Road type

Other principal arterial30%
Minor arterial22%
Interstate14%
Other freeways and expressways13%
Major collector12%
Local7%
Minor collector2%

FHWA functional classes (FARS FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the national share. What the classes mean.

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in California in 2024?

3,876 people in 3,583 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 39,702.

How does California compare with the national rate?

10.1 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 9.8 against 11.5.

Which counties in California have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Los Angeles County (7,783), San Bernardino County (3,509) and Riverside County (3,065). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in California involved alcohol or speeding?

27.9% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 30.2% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in California have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 5 (1,337 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), US Route 101 (1,024 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and State Route 99 (754 fatal crashes, 2015–2024). Route pages exist for signed routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in the ten years.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System annual files 1975–2024; US Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology, sources and corrections.