North Carolina fatal crashes in 2021
FARS records 1,693 deaths in 1,563 fatal crashes in North Carolina in 2021.
In 2020 it records 1,538 deaths in 1,415 fatal crashes.
In 2021 the rate is 16.0 deaths for each 100,000 residents in North Carolina and 13.0 in the United States.
By deaths for each 100,000 residents in 2021, North Carolina was number 17 of 51, the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Deaths in North Carolina rose by 10.1% from 2020 to 2021. In the United States they rose by 10.8%.
In 2021, a driver was recorded as drinking in 27.3% of fatal crashes in North Carolina and 26.3% 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 2021 on 1 Apr 2024. Release dates
2021 beside 2020
| Figure | North Carolina, 2021 | North Carolina, 2020 | United States, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 1,693 | 1,538 | 43,230 |
| Fatal crashes | 1,563 | 1,415 | 39,785 |
| Deaths for each 100,000 residents | 16.0 | 14.7 | 13.0 |
| Fatal crashes with a driver recorded as drinking | 426 | 336 | 10,458 |
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 2021
Note: a county with no fatal crash in 2021 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. | 264 | 16.9% |
| 6 a.m. to noon | 291 | 18.7% |
| Noon to 6 p.m. | 474 | 30.4% |
| 6 p.m. to midnight | 531 | 34.0% |
| Weekday | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 250 | 16.0% |
| Monday | 214 | 13.7% |
| Tuesday | 177 | 11.3% |
| Wednesday | 192 | 12.3% |
| Thursday | 201 | 12.9% |
| Friday | 261 | 16.7% |
| Saturday | 268 | 17.1% |
Note: the tables have the fatal crashes with a known hour or weekday.
Road function class
| Road function class | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interstate | 163 | 10.4% |
| Other freeways and expressways | 61 | 3.9% |
| Other principal arterial | 351 | 22.5% |
| Minor arterial | 315 | 20.2% |
| Major collector | 298 | 19.1% |
| Minor collector | 112 | 7.2% |
| Local | 261 | 16.7% |
| Not reported | 2 | n/a |
Note: the shares are of the crashes with a reported class. Road function classes
Cite this page
Fatal Roads. North Carolina fatal crashes in 2021. https://fatalroads.com/state/north-carolina/2021/. 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 2021. NHTSA released the final file of 2021 on 1 Apr 2024. 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 2021 page use?
NHTSA released the final file of 2021 on 1 Apr 2024.
What part of the deaths in the United States in 2021 was in North Carolina?
North Carolina had 1,693 of the 43,230 deaths in the United States in 2021. That is 3.9 percent.
In how many counties of North Carolina did FARS record a fatal crash in 2021?
FARS records one or more fatal crashes in 97 counties of North Carolina in 2021.
How many fatal crashes in North Carolina in 2021 had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 426 of 1,563 fatal crashes in 2021.