Policy Study

25th Annual Highway Report: Overall Fatality Rate

Most states (35 of 50) reported a decrease in their fatality rates.

The fatality rate is an important overall measure of each state’s road performance.

The overall fatality rate measures fatalities on all roadways in the state. The nation’s highway fatality rate improved from 1.18 in 2016, the last time this assessment was completed, to 1.13 in 2018.

The fatality rate had increased over the last several years after a decades-long downward trend. While there is no one cause, distracted driving appears to be the biggest contributor.

In 2018, 36,529 fatalities were reported, fewer than the 37,434 fatalities reported in 2016, as VMT (vehicle-miles of travel) increased to 3.24 trillion from 3.17 trillion in 2018.

For 2018, Massachusetts reported the overall lowest fatality rate, 0.54, while  South Carolina reported the highest, 1.83.

Most states (35 of 50) reported a  decrease in their fatality rate compared to 2016, led by Iowa, Kentucky, and Idaho, which improved by 0.25, 0.23, and 0.17 points, respectively. Four states saw their fatality rates stay the same. Eleven states saw their fatality rates increase, led by West Virginia, South Dakota, and Rhode Island, reporting a 0.13, 0.12, and 0.1 point increase, respectively.

Overall Fatality Rate (Per 100 Million Vehicle-Miles Traveled)
2018 RankStateFatality Rate Per 100 Million Vehicle-Miles
1Massachusetts0.54
2Minnesota0.63
3New Jersey0.73
4Rhode Island0.74
5New York0.76
6Utah0.81
7Maryland0.84
8Washington0.88
9Wisconsin0.89
10Vermont0.93
11Maine0.93
12Connecticut0.93
13Ohio0.93
14Michigan0.95
15Illinois0.96
16Iowa0.96
17Virginia0.96
18California1.02
19Indiana1.05
20Wyoming1.06
21North Dakota1.07
22New Hampshire1.07
23Hawaii1.07
24Delaware1.09
25Nebraska1.1
26Georgia1.14
27Nevada1.17
28Pennsylvania1.17
29Colorado1.17
30North Carolina1.19
31Missouri1.2
32Kansas1.26
33Tennessee1.28
34Texas1.29
35Idaho1.3
36South Dakota1.34
37Alabama1.34
38Oregon1.37
39Arkansas1.41
40Florida1.41
41New Mexico1.43
42Montana1.43
43Oklahoma1.44
44Alaska1.46
45Kentucky1.46
46West Virginia1.51
47Arizona1.53
48Louisiana1.53
49Mississippi1.63
50South Carolina1.83
Average1.14
View national trends and state-by-state performances by category:
overall
Overall
total-disbursements-per-mile
Total Disbursements Per Mile
capital-bridge-disbursements-per-mile
Capital & Bridge Disbursements Per Mile
maintenance-disbursements-per-mile
Maintenance Disbursements Per Mile
administrative-disbursements-per-mile
Administrative Disbursements Per Mile
rural-interstate-percent-poor-condition
Rural Interstate Pavement Condition
rural-other-principal-arterial-percent-narrow-lanes
Rural Arterial Pavement Condition
urban-interstate-percent-poor-condition
Urban Interstate Pavement Condition
rural-other-principal-arterial-percent-poor-condition
Urban Arterial Pavement Condition
urbanized-area-congestion-peak-hours-spent-in-congestion-per-auto-commuter
Urbanized Area Congestion
bridges-percent-deficient
Structurally Deficient Bridges
fatality-rate-per-100-million-vehicle-miles-of-travel
Overall Fatality Rate
fatality-rate-per-100-million-vehicle-miles-of-travel
Rural Fatality Rate
fatality-rate-per-100-million-vehicle-miles-of-travel
Urban Fatality Rate