Florida and U.S. crash data

Motor Vehicle Accident Statistics

By Miller & Jacobs Accident Attorneys

NHTSA estimates 36,640 U.S. traffic deaths for 2025. Its 2024 annual file reports 39,254 U.S. deaths, including 3,138 in Florida. These are different data stages. Check the year, place and measure before you compare totals.

For questions about your own crash, see our Pompano Beach car accident page. Data alone does not decide fault or what a claim is worth.

Ask about your crash

U.S. traffic deaths: keep the data stage clear

These are selected full-year figures. They cover deaths in motor vehicle traffic crashes across the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Puerto Rico is reported separately and is not part of the U.S. total.

41,025 deaths

U.S., 2023. FARS Final File.

1.26 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled.

39,254 deaths

U.S., 2024. FARS Annual Report File (ARF).

1.19 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled.

36,640 deaths

U.S., 2025. Early estimate.

1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled.

Sources: NHTSA's 2024 overview, table 9 and 2025 early estimate, table 1. Both were published in April 2026. Data checked October 11, 2026.

An annual file is not a Final File

FARS is the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. An Annual Report File is an initial annual release. A later Final File can change its counts. The 2024 ARF is not final. The 2025 estimate is a projection, not a final count.

The FARS file notes explain the revisions. The April 2026 release uses the 2023 Final File.

The original NHTSA 2022 early-estimate release is an archive published April 20, 2023. It is not the source for the current figures above. Do not treat an old estimate as a final count.

Florida and the nation: compare the same series

The comparison below uses one NHTSA table and the same two calendar years. Both places use the 2023 Final File and 2024 ARF. It does not mix in a live Florida dashboard total.

Geography

Traffic deaths and change

Florida

2023: 3,375 deaths. 2024: 3,138 deaths. Change: -7.0%.

United States

2023: 41,025 deaths. 2024: 39,254 deaths. Change: -4.3%.

Source: NHTSA's April 2026 overview, table 9. The observation years are 2023 and 2024, not 2026.

These are changes in death counts. They are not a ranking of how safe two places are. A raw count does not adjust for how much people drive, who travels there or the mix of roads.

Keep state-report totals separate

FLHSMV's 2024 annual report follows its own crash-report rules. Page 1 gives a January 22, 2026 closeout date. It warns that later reports can change totals. Keep those figures separate from the FARS comparison above.

For a county or city question, choose that place in the source and record the date of the data. A statewide count does not tell you how many crashes occurred on one Pompano Beach road.

Crashes, injured people and deaths are different measures

A single crash can affect several people. A count of crashes is therefore different from a count of people hurt or killed. Check what each number counts before adding it to a chart or report.

6,180,241 crashes

U.S., 2024. Estimated police-reported traffic crashes.

2,422,195 injured people

U.S., 2024. Estimated people injured in traffic crashes.

Source: NHTSA's 2024 overview, tables 2 and 3. The crash and injury estimates draw on the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS). They are not a count of every unreported crash or every person who sought medical care.

CRSS uses a sample of police-reported crashes to estimate broader totals. NHTSA says the small 2023-to-2024 changes in total crashes and injured people were not statistically significant. Do not present those changes as a proven trend.

An injury count is not a diagnosis or case value

An injury count does not show a person's diagnosis, medical needs or claim value. Those questions require individual records and the facts of the crash.

Close up man holding hand with blue bandage as arm injury concept with car accident,

Read a rate with its denominator

A vehicle-mile is one vehicle traveling one mile. The rates above count deaths for each 100 million vehicle-miles traveled. They do not mean that a stated share of drivers will die.

A rate per resident answers a different question from a rate per mile driven. Do not compare the two as if they were the same. Check the units on both sides of a comparison.

FARS coverage rules concern fatal traffic crashes on roads open to the public, with a death within 30 days. A source with different coverage rules may produce a different total.

What crash statistics cannot decide about your case

Population totals do not by themselves prove who caused your crash, what an insurer owes or how much a claim is worth. Those questions need facts about the individual case.

To review an individual crash, use our car accident evidence guide to identify records, note gaps and request material from the right holder.

3D illustration of BAD FAITH INSURANCE title on Legal Documents. Legal concept.

Keep your crash facts separate from population data

Keep the report number, photos, witness details and records of your own crash. Mark gaps as gaps. A chart for all Florida drivers cannot tell you the sequence of events in your collision.

Florida section 90.401 defines relevant evidence by whether it tends to prove or disprove a material fact. Whether a statistic helps prove a fact in your case needs its own review.

You can contact Miller & Jacobs about those case-specific questions. No outcome is promised.

Alphabet letter block in word letter block on wood background

Speak With Our Car Accident Lawyers About Your Crash

Rick S. Jacobs, Partner

Mark J. Miller, Partner

Call 954-465-8733 Schedule a Free Consultation

Questions about the statistics

Are the 2024 traffic death figures final?

No. The April 2026 NHTSA release uses the 2024 Annual Report File. It can change when the Final File is released. The 2023 figures shown here use the Final File.

Does a report published in 2026 describe crashes in 2026?

Not necessarily. A publication date tells you when a report came out. An observation year tells you when the crashes happened. The April 2026 overview used here describes 2024 crashes.

Can I compare part of a year with a full year?

Do not compare the totals as if the periods match. A first-quarter report covers January through March. Compare the same months in both years, with the same geography, measure and data stage.

Can these figures tell me what my settlement is worth?

No. A population count does not price an individual claim. Fault, harm, evidence, coverage and other case facts need their own review. A statistic does not guarantee a payment.

Discuss your case facts