California fatal crashes in 2015
FARS records 3,387 deaths in 3,123 fatal crashes in California in 2015.
In 2014 it records 3,102 deaths in 2,859 fatal crashes.
In 2015 the rate is 8.7 deaths for each 100,000 residents in California and 11.1 in the United States.
By deaths for each 100,000 residents in 2015, California was number 39 of 51, the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Deaths in California rose by 9.2% from 2014 to 2015. In the United States they rose by 8.4%.
In 2015, a driver was recorded as drinking in 30.7% of fatal crashes in California and 28.3% in the United States.
To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
The set of first files, known as the Annual Report File (ARF), is released following the crash year. The ARF is replaced about a year later with a final file, which contains additional cases or updates to cases that had become available after the ARF was released.
NHTSA's words. Source: NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794, April 2026), copied on .
NHTSA released the final file of 2015 on 11 Jan 2017. Release dates
2015 beside 2014
| Figure | California, 2015 | California, 2014 | United States, 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 3,387 | 3,102 | 35,484 |
| Fatal crashes | 3,123 | 2,859 | 32,538 |
| Deaths for each 100,000 residents | 8.7 | 8.0 | 11.1 |
| Fatal crashes with a driver recorded as drinking | 959 | 839 | 9,215 |
Note: FARS records a driver as drinking when police reported alcohol involvement or a test of the driver was positive for alcohol. It is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure. NHTSA's definitions
For the years before 2015 the count is from the FARS element DRUNK_DR. It counts a blood alcohol concentration of .01 g/dL or more. From 2015 the count is from DR_DRINK and counts .001 g/dL or more.
Counties in 2015
Note: a county with no fatal crash in 2015 is not in the table. A count of 1 or 2 is written "1 or 2".
Time of day and weekday
| Time of day | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Midnight to 6 a.m. | 699 | 22.8% |
| 6 a.m. to noon | 541 | 17.6% |
| Noon to 6 p.m. | 774 | 25.2% |
| 6 p.m. to midnight | 1,053 | 34.3% |
| Weekday | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 509 | 16.3% |
| Monday | 396 | 12.7% |
| Tuesday | 390 | 12.5% |
| Wednesday | 387 | 12.4% |
| Thursday | 427 | 13.7% |
| Friday | 486 | 15.6% |
| Saturday | 528 | 16.9% |
Note: the tables have the fatal crashes with a known hour or weekday.
Road function class
| Road function class | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interstate | 396 | 12.7% |
| Other freeways and expressways | 713 | 22.8% |
| Other principal arterial | 847 | 27.1% |
| Minor arterial | 592 | 19.0% |
| Major collector | 376 | 12.0% |
| Minor collector | 35 | 1.1% |
| Local | 163 | 5.2% |
| Not reported | 1 | n/a |
Note: the shares are of the crashes with a reported class. Road function classes
Cite this page
Fatal Roads. California fatal crashes in 2015. https://fatalroads.com/state/california/2015/. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, FARS 2024 annual file. Data to .
The address of this page does not change.
Source of the figures
Counts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, national file of 2015. NHTSA released the final file of 2015 on 11 Jan 2017. Residents: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, vintage 2025. Data to .
How the figures are made. Data sources and licences. Corrections.
Questions
Which file does the 2015 page use?
NHTSA released the final file of 2015 on 11 Jan 2017.
What part of the deaths in the United States in 2015 was in California?
California had 3,387 of the 35,484 deaths in the United States in 2015. That is 9.5 percent.
In how many counties of California did FARS record a fatal crash in 2015?
FARS records one or more fatal crashes in 58 counties of California in 2015.
How many fatal crashes in California in 2015 had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 959 of 3,123 fatal crashes in 2015.