Fatal Roads

States › Virginia

VA

State

Virginia

Residents 8,811,195Deaths 2024 917Deaths 2015–2024 8,664Counties 133Routes with pages 51

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.

Virginia recorded 917 deaths in 867 fatal crashes in 2024, the latest year in NHTSA's FARS, and 8,664 deaths over 2015–2024.

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 5% from 8,242 in 2005–2014 to 8,664 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, alcohol (a driver reported as drinking) stands out most: 29.4% of fatal crashes against 26.3% nationally. 55.4% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 45.4% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Sussex County (66.9), Brunswick County (41.4) and Nelson County (40.6).

917deaths in 2024867 fatal crashes
10.1per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
+5%ten-year change in deaths8,242 → 8,664
29%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

05631,126197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 993 deaths1976: 1,000 deaths1977: 1,118 deaths1978: 1,063 deaths1979: 1,016 deaths1980: 1,045 deaths1981: 1,011 deaths1982: 881 deaths1983: 901 deaths1984: 1,013 deaths1985: 976 deaths1986: 1,126 deaths1987: 1,021 deaths1988: 1,072 deaths1989: 1,004 deaths1990: 1,079 deaths1991: 948 deaths1992: 839 deaths1993: 879 deaths1994: 930 deaths1995: 900 deaths1996: 877 deaths1997: 984 deaths1998: 935 deaths1999: 878 deaths2000: 929 deaths2001: 935 deaths2002: 914 deaths2003: 943 deaths2004: 922 deaths2005: 947 deaths2006: 962 deaths2007: 1,027 deaths2008: 825 deaths2009: 758 deaths2010: 740 deaths2011: 764 deaths2012: 776 deaths2013: 740 deaths2014: 703 deaths2015: 754 deaths2016: 760 deaths2017: 839 deaths2018: 820 deaths2019: 831 deaths2020: 850 deaths2021: 973 deaths2022: 1,006 deaths2023: 914 deaths2024: 917 deaths
People killed in crashes in Virginia by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 917 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

08152000200520102015202020242000: 13.12001: 132002: 12.52003: 12.82004: 12.32005: 12.52006: 12.52007: 13.22008: 10.52009: 9.62010: 9.22011: 9.42012: 9.52013: 92014: 8.52015: 92016: 92017: 9.92018: 9.62019: 9.72020: 9.82021: 11.22022: 11.62023: 10.52024: 10.4
Deaths per 100,000 residents in Virginia and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 10.4. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureVirginiaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202410.111.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202410.411.5
Deaths, 2015–20248,664389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years+5%+7%
Share of the national toll2.2%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking29.4%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver28.8%
Pedestriansshare of people killed13.9%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed12.3%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used54.3%
In darknesscrashes after dark45.4%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads55.4%

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
1Sussex County10,7537466.9422%36%
2Highland County2,3481148.91–227%9%
3King and Queen County6,7473145.1423%23%
4Charles City County6,5642942.5654%46%
5Brunswick County15,7506741.4922%38%
6Nelson County14,7666040.6926%22%
7Charlotte County11,2584437.5433%21%
8Northampton County12,0044436.7527%24%
9Dinwiddie County28,5769433.11136%27%
10Greensville County11,1503732.51–223%42%
11Clarke County15,5984832.4833%26%
12Mecklenburg County30,8249932.31226%30%
13Nottoway County15,6324931.6435%30%
14Bath County4,0711330.9442%25%
15Rockbridge County22,3686830.1833%27%
16Southampton County17,9415229.0631%9%
17Buckingham County17,1154928.8753%33%
18Wythe County28,1008128.4818%19%
19Caroline County33,4778828.21029%23%
20Halifax County33,4489427.6733%28%
21Essex County10,6832926.8732%25%
22Pittsylvania County59,41016226.71837%25%
23Amelia County13,7163526.51–233%27%
24Middlesex County10,9492826.0435%27%
25Surry County6,5791726.01–220%33%
26Louisa County42,1099525.01042%34%
27New Kent County27,2185824.8522%24%
28Henry County49,38512524.71722%38%
29Russell County25,4206524.7514%29%
30Cumberland County10,0622323.4438%33%
31Buchanan County18,6324722.8423%40%
32Franklin County55,63712522.41835%20%
33Prince Edward County22,2765022.3034%32%
34Goochland County28,2235522.2926%28%
35Madison County14,2523022.1324%32%
36Carroll County29,2426421.7824%24%
37Botetourt County34,1297121.1820%28%
38Richmond County9,2151921.1029%47%
39Augusta County78,62216020.91827%25%
40Bland County6,1861320.61–217%0%
41Prince George County43,5898320.41237%23%
42Patrick County17,3083620.4343%29%
43Scott County21,3884319.81–221%23%
44Giles County16,5333319.81–219%13%
45Fauquier County75,86514219.71328%32%
46Campbell County55,34210919.71230%20%
47Accomack County33,4116519.7632%27%
48Lunenburg County12,0602419.71–227%27%
49Lancaster County11,0622119.41–260%45%
50King George County28,8165219.2326%38%
51Appomattox County16,9573119.2425%21%
52Page County23,6864518.9534%40%
53Orange County38,9866718.2334%23%
54King William County19,2323218.11–233%27%
55Alleghany County14,6322718.0639%35%
56Rappahannock County7,4791317.5331%39%
57Grayson County15,2652717.4039%17%
58Smyth County29,1375217.3722%30%
59Mathews County8,6021517.3029%21%
60Isle of Wight County40,9426617.2527%21%
61Northumberland County12,3972117.21–245%40%
62Westmoreland County19,2353016.41–241%33%
63Bedford County82,18212715.91739%29%
64Washington County54,0988615.9724%27%
65Lee County21,7803515.31–218%21%
66Hanover County115,30916415.01230%27%
67Shenandoah County45,4416615.0824%19%
68Rockingham County87,67412414.91231%40%
69Gloucester County40,1545614.6932%30%
70Tazewell County38,8755914.5428%35%
71Amherst County31,6504514.2531%13%
72Powhatan County32,3924314.21–233%28%
73Frederick County98,10912814.11533%28%
74Craig County4,829714.01–2——
75Pulaski County33,5794613.61–223%23%
76Culpeper County56,1257113.5531%17%
77Petersburg city34,0584313.3423%45%
78Emporia city5,402712.74——
79Spotsylvania County152,02117012.22129%31%
80Wise County34,9734512.237%28%
81Albemarle County117,31313412.01033%14%
82Dickenson County13,4111711.9341%47%
83Suffolk city103,10511011.61426%13%
84Danville city41,9934811.5422%22%
85Floyd County15,6581710.91–247%24%
86York County71,4107310.5535%28%
87Warren County42,4614210.4324%17%
88Fluvanna County28,7462810.2027%27%
89Hampton city137,5961299.51328%35%
90Colonial Heights city18,674179.51–235%29%
91James City County82,797739.4933%20%
92Greene County21,744199.31–232%11%
93Newport News city183,0561679.21937%36%
94Portsmouth city96,482889.1630%29%
95Richmond city233,6552059.01828%29%
96Roanoke city97,912899.0926%40%
97Henrico County338,6962948.94626%19%
98Montgomery County98,998888.91128%21%
99Roanoke County97,334848.8726%28%
100Norfolk city231,1052038.52031%24%
101Chesterfield County389,7932928.13230%34%
102Fredericksburg city29,992217.31–230%20%
103Franklin city8,37367.31–2——
104Chesapeake city254,9971777.21930%28%
105Stafford County168,9191087.01026%30%
106Virginia Beach city454,8082716.02437%40%
107Waynesboro city23,498135.81–215%31%
108Lynchburg city80,301465.7938%24%
109Prince William County497,0032385.03024%40%
110Harrisonburg city51,164265.01–228%36%
111Fairfax city26,340125.0017%33%
112Williamsburg city16,03074.61–2——
113Bristol city16,31674.10——
114Hopewell city22,97094.00——
115Fairfax County1,160,9254473.95725%35%
116Manassas city43,616163.8044%44%
117Martinsville city13,83453.80——
118Charlottesville city44,767173.71–219%31%
119Loudoun County443,3801333.21434%38%
120Poquoson city12,85443.20——
121Alexandria city159,102493.1621%32%
122Galax city6,73923.00——
123Radford city17,27352.90——
124Salem city25,90872.71–2——
125Norton city3,47812.60——
126Winchester city27,80062.21–2——
127Staunton city26,36152.00——
128Arlington County239,807451.91–235%28%
129Covington city5,66311.80——
130Buena Vista city6,58111.51–2——
131Falls Church city15,03410.71–2——
132Manassas Park city16,61110.60——
133Lexington city7,80200.00——

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 95Interstate29032823%30%
2Interstate 64Interstate27729530%32%
3US Route 58US highway25927721%18%
4US Route 460US highway24226421%24%
5Interstate 81Interstate24127217%18%
6US Route 1US highway20320719%21%
7US Route 29US highway19319921%11%
8US Route 17US highway16417225%24%
9US Route 360US highway14115028%23%
10US Route 60US highway13814630%30%
11US Route 11US highway13615124%29%
12US Route 13US highway10812222%19%
13US Route 220US highway9210127%25%
14US Route 15US highway8710221%23%
15US Route 250US highway727522%19%
16State Route 3State highway717430%32%
17Interstate 295Interstate707527%41%
18US Route 522US highway676924%24%
19Interstate 264Interstate657148%39%
20Interstate 66Interstate626718%26%
21US Route 33US highway626432%21%
22US Route 50US highway596324%25%
23Interstate 85Interstate596215%22%
24State Route 40State highway555826%20%
25State Route 10State highway525537%21%
26US Route 340US highway526125%23%
27State Route 7State highway515618%31%
28US Route 301US highway485021%27%
29US Route 501US highway485235%25%
30Interstate 495Interstate444725%41%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 51 routes in Virginia 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 Virginia by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 8,137 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday17%
Friday15%
Sunday15%
Thursday14%
Tuesday13%
Monday13%
Wednesday13%

Light condition

Daylight50%
Dark, not lighted31%
Dark, lighted14%
Dusk3%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial26%
Minor arterial24%
Major collector18%
Interstate15%
Local10%
Minor collector4%
Other freeways and expressways3%

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 Virginia in 2024?

917 people in 867 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 8,664.

How does Virginia compare with the national rate?

10.1 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 10.4 against 11.5.

Which counties in Virginia have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Fairfax County (447), Henrico County (294) and Chesterfield County (292). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

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

29.4% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 28.8% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in Virginia have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 95 (290 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), Interstate 64 (277 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and US Route 58 (259 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.