California fatal crashes in 2018
FARS records 3,798 deaths in 3,485 fatal crashes in California in 2018.
In 2017 it records 3,884 deaths in 3,569 fatal crashes.
In 2018 the rate is 9.6 deaths for each 100,000 residents in California and 11.3 in the United States.
By deaths for each 100,000 residents in 2018, California was number 36 of 51, the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Deaths in California fell by 2.2% from 2017 to 2018. In the United States they fell by 1.7%.
In 2018, a driver was recorded as drinking in 27.2% of fatal crashes in California and 25.7% 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 2018 on 18 Dec 2020. Release dates
2018 beside 2017
| Figure | California, 2018 | California, 2017 | United States, 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 3,798 | 3,884 | 36,835 |
| Fatal crashes | 3,485 | 3,569 | 33,919 |
| Deaths for each 100,000 residents | 9.6 | 9.9 | 11.3 |
| Fatal crashes with a driver recorded as drinking | 947 | 1,032 | 8,708 |
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
Counties in 2018
Note: a county with no fatal crash in 2018 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. | 781 | 22.9% |
| 6 a.m. to noon | 595 | 17.4% |
| Noon to 6 p.m. | 825 | 24.2% |
| 6 p.m. to midnight | 1,214 | 35.5% |
| Weekday | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 569 | 16.3% |
| Monday | 468 | 13.4% |
| Tuesday | 441 | 12.7% |
| Wednesday | 415 | 11.9% |
| Thursday | 456 | 13.1% |
| Friday | 548 | 15.7% |
| Saturday | 588 | 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 | 484 | 13.9% |
| Other freeways and expressways | 522 | 15.0% |
| Other principal arterial | 995 | 28.6% |
| Minor arterial | 627 | 18.0% |
| Major collector | 389 | 11.2% |
| Minor collector | 135 | 3.9% |
| Local | 331 | 9.5% |
| Not reported | 2 | 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 2018. https://fatalroads.com/state/california/2018/. 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 2018. NHTSA released the final file of 2018 on 18 Dec 2020. 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 2018 page use?
NHTSA released the final file of 2018 on 18 Dec 2020.
What part of the deaths in the United States in 2018 was in California?
California had 3,798 of the 36,835 deaths in the United States in 2018. That is 10.3 percent.
In how many counties of California did FARS record a fatal crash in 2018?
FARS records one or more fatal crashes in 57 counties of California in 2018.
How many fatal crashes in California in 2018 had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 947 of 3,485 fatal crashes in 2018.