Fatal Roads

States › North Carolina

NC

State

North Carolina

Residents 11,046,024Deaths 2024 1,619Deaths 2015–2024 15,192Counties 100Routes with pages 77

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.

North Carolina recorded 1,619 deaths in 1,509 fatal crashes in 2024, the latest year in NHTSA's FARS, and 15,192 deaths over 2015–2024.

That is 14.5 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 23% higher than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total rose 9% from 13,941 in 2005–2014 to 15,192 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, speeding stands out most: 31.8% of fatal crashes against 27.2% nationally. 57.2% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 46.3% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Robeson County (42.6), Northampton County (39.6) and Columbus County (38.4).

1,619deaths in 20241,509 fatal crashes
14.5per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
+9%ten-year change in deaths13,941 → 15,192
25%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

08471,693197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 1,506 deaths1976: 1,502 deaths1977: 1,428 deaths1978: 1,492 deaths1979: 1,527 deaths1980: 1,503 deaths1981: 1,475 deaths1982: 1,303 deaths1983: 1,234 deaths1984: 1,450 deaths1985: 1,482 deaths1986: 1,647 deaths1987: 1,584 deaths1988: 1,573 deaths1989: 1,471 deaths1990: 1,385 deaths1991: 1,369 deaths1992: 1,265 deaths1993: 1,389 deaths1994: 1,431 deaths1995: 1,448 deaths1996: 1,494 deaths1997: 1,483 deaths1998: 1,596 deaths1999: 1,505 deaths2000: 1,557 deaths2001: 1,530 deaths2002: 1,576 deaths2003: 1,553 deaths2004: 1,573 deaths2005: 1,547 deaths2006: 1,554 deaths2007: 1,676 deaths2008: 1,428 deaths2009: 1,313 deaths2010: 1,320 deaths2011: 1,230 deaths2012: 1,299 deaths2013: 1,290 deaths2014: 1,284 deaths2015: 1,379 deaths2016: 1,450 deaths2017: 1,412 deaths2018: 1,436 deaths2019: 1,457 deaths2020: 1,538 deaths2021: 1,693 deaths2022: 1,631 deaths2023: 1,577 deaths2024: 1,619 deaths
People killed in crashes in North Carolina by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 1,619 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

010192000200520102015202020242000: 19.32001: 18.62002: 18.92003: 18.42004: 18.42005: 17.82006: 17.42007: 18.42008: 15.32009: 13.92010: 13.82011: 12.72012: 13.32013: 13.12014: 12.92015: 13.72016: 14.32017: 13.72018: 13.82019: 13.92020: 14.72021: 162022: 15.22023: 14.52024: 14.7
Deaths per 100,000 residents in North Carolina and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 14.7. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureNorth CarolinaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202414.511.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202414.711.5
Deaths, 2015–202415,192389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years+9%+7%
Share of the national toll3.9%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking25.3%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver31.8%
Pedestriansshare of people killed14.9%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed13.5%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used46.8%
In darknesscrashes after dark46.3%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads57.2%

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
1Graham County8,1793643.41–29%38%
2Robeson County118,62453142.64626%34%
3Northampton County16,5807339.6724%24%
4Columbus County50,05420438.41823%24%
5Warren County19,0817136.7825%25%
6Scotland County33,89812035.0824%29%
7Bladen County29,77710834.3621%26%
8Montgomery County26,3649134.2816%36%
9Duplin County50,53918133.41924%28%
10Bertie County16,9396032.81–229%39%
11Sampson County60,40419932.42123%22%
12Gates County10,2993431.0533%30%
13Halifax County46,99215230.71331%27%
14Tyrrell County3,5171129.44——
15Hertford County19,1696127.8741%41%
16Jones County9,4622627.61–224%32%
17Anson County22,4326125.91328%32%
18Hoke County55,38213825.61525%36%
19Pender County70,07715925.2725%28%
20Nash County97,99023224.41228%34%
21Caswell County22,3635524.4736%32%
22Richmond County41,99010624.31424%33%
23Yadkin County37,9959124.21118%26%
24Edgecombe County49,12411823.31536%42%
25Lenoir County55,33212923.11519%30%
26Granville County61,54413823.0931%33%
27Franklin County79,77115421.91732%35%
28Vance County42,3379521.9430%28%
29Harnett County146,09629321.63523%39%
30Lee County68,53713521.41227%28%
31Cleveland County102,19420821.01619%24%
32Madison County22,3524520.8930%41%
33Martin County21,5234620.7531%38%
34Wilson County79,95816420.42123%27%
35Cherokee County30,3735820.1426%25%
36Surry County71,54714119.71220%26%
37Wilkes County66,18612919.21721%26%
38Chatham County83,87414118.61723%30%
39Clay County12,0422118.6516%16%
40Pamlico County12,5502318.4326%44%
41Davidson County177,80930618.13323%31%
42Moore County108,41718318.11726%32%
43Randolph County148,38926118.02921%34%
44Rutherford County65,58711817.91613%35%
45Jackson County45,2817617.5525%36%
46Haywood County63,04810817.41012%27%
47Greene County20,6713617.4431%34%
48Polk County20,3203517.3515%44%
49Wayne County120,33820917.22124%31%
50Swain County13,9452417.01–221%29%
51Rockingham County93,51715516.91320%32%
52Rowan County153,38423316.13218%29%
53Burke County88,54514216.01816%23%
54Davie County45,3836916.01028%40%
55Ashe County27,2664316.0315%13%
56Johnston County249,79434115.84028%32%
57Currituck County32,2784515.81–214%26%
58Pasquotank County41,4186315.7421%26%
59Perquimans County13,4602115.7315%15%
60Beaufort County44,5767115.51128%32%
61McDowell County45,2697015.5620%30%
62Alexander County36,6935715.5632%17%
63Stokes County45,8577015.4625%28%
64Yancey County18,9932815.31–231%35%
65Alleghany County11,3791715.3019%25%
66Person County40,1436015.2620%39%
67Caldwell County80,73912315.12425%30%
68Stanly County67,3269515.11122%35%
69Brunswick County167,11221415.02427%24%
70Cumberland County338,43050114.95925%33%
71Catawba County167,05423714.82223%24%
72Macon County38,7175414.8818%36%
73Pitt County180,78326114.72627%30%
74Lincoln County97,61112714.4729%35%
75Washington County10,6541614.1319%31%
76Avery County17,8112413.61–221%29%
77Chowan County13,8911913.6042%47%
78Carteret County70,2599313.41322%28%
79Buncombe County279,21034713.14422%28%
80Iredell County206,36123812.82727%26%
81Craven County104,16713112.81218%29%
82Alamance County183,04021412.62526%34%
83Gaston County242,01027712.23725%42%
84Hyde County4,583612.21–2——
85Guilford County558,81664912.17428%34%
86Mitchell County15,0301812.056%22%
87Dare County38,1834311.6713%18%
88Onslow County212,95423111.41926%32%
89Forsyth County398,14341911.03925%28%
90Cabarrus County244,92523510.62327%28%
91Henderson County120,77112310.51625%23%
92Watauga County54,9975810.5422%22%
93Transylvania County34,1033510.449%41%
94Orange County152,87714710.02229%32%
95Union County263,3862329.62427%33%
96Mecklenburg County1,206,2851,0599.512134%41%
97Durham County343,6282969.23131%41%
98New Hanover County243,3332109.12924%33%
99Camden County11,18498.40——
100Wake County1,232,4447726.98327%35%

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 40Interstate36340321%30%
2Interstate 85Interstate32435225%36%
3US Route 70US highway31833619%26%
4US Route 64US highway29331817%28%
5US Route 74US highway25627820%24%
6US Route 421US highway19722116%21%
7Interstate 95Interstate19522913%27%
8US Route 17US highway18820618%26%
9US Route 401US highway17719521%25%
10US Route 29US highway16317625%37%
11State Route 24State highway15115923%30%
12US Route 158US highway13815819%20%
13Interstate 77Interstate13214326%32%
14State Route 87State highway12213019%36%
15US Route 1US highway12013321%31%
16Interstate 485Interstate10612131%37%
17US Route 321US highway949819%28%
18US Route 301US highway9310215%19%
19State Route 150State highway909324%29%
20State Route 55State highway8910117%27%
21US Route 264US highway879825%25%
22State Route 11State highway859620%19%
23US Route 52US highway849323%24%
24US Route 19US highway839217%27%
25State Route 16State highway778118%25%
26US Route 13US highway769232%24%
27State Route 49State highway707223%26%
28State Route 210State highway687519%21%
29State Route 211State highway667818%21%
30US Route 258US highway646920%27%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 77 routes in North Carolina 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 North Carolina by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 14,050 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday17%
Friday16%
Sunday15%
Thursday13%
Wednesday13%
Tuesday13%
Monday13%

Light condition

Daylight50%
Dark, not lighted34%
Dark, lighted12%
Dusk2%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial27%
Local22%
Minor arterial16%
Major collector15%
Interstate10%
Minor collector6%
Other freeways and expressways4%

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 North Carolina in 2024?

1,619 people in 1,509 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 15,192.

How does North Carolina compare with the national rate?

14.5 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 14.7 against 11.5.

Which counties in North Carolina have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Mecklenburg County (1,059), Wake County (772) and Guilford County (649). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in North Carolina involved alcohol or speeding?

25.3% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 31.8% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in North Carolina have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 40 (363 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), Interstate 85 (324 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and US Route 70 (318 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.