Deaths from motor vehicles in California 2014-2021
In 2021, the state of California reported around 4,161 motor-vehicle deaths, a slight increase from the year before. Death from motor-vehicles remains a relevant problem across the United States.
Motor-vehicle deaths in the United States
In the United States, a person’s lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident is around 1 in 101. Death rates from motor vehicles have decreased in recent years and are significantly lower than the rates recorded in the 1970s and 1980s. This is due to a mass improvement in car safety standards and features. For example, most states now have laws against not wearing safety belts.
Drinking and driving
One of the biggest causes of motor-vehicle deaths is driving while under the influence of alcohol. The state with the highest number of fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving in 2019 was Texas, followed by California and Florida. Passenger cars are the vehicle type most often involved in fatal crashes caused by alcohol-impaired drivers, with around 3,975 such accidents in the United States in 2019.
Motor-vehicle deaths in the United States
In the United States, a person’s lifetime odds of dying in a motor vehicle accident is around 1 in 101. Death rates from motor vehicles have decreased in recent years and are significantly lower than the rates recorded in the 1970s and 1980s. This is due to a mass improvement in car safety standards and features. For example, most states now have laws against not wearing safety belts.
Drinking and driving
One of the biggest causes of motor-vehicle deaths is driving while under the influence of alcohol. The state with the highest number of fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving in 2019 was Texas, followed by California and Florida. Passenger cars are the vehicle type most often involved in fatal crashes caused by alcohol-impaired drivers, with around 3,975 such accidents in the United States in 2019.
