Despite road fatalities in the United States decreasing the past three years, transportation leaders need only look back several more years to see “we still have a long way to go.”
Last year, 2024, continued the recent three-year trend of fewer traffic fatalities occurring on the nation’s roadways. However, compared to 10 years ago, U.S. roads are far more dangerous to travel today.
While data from 2022, 2023 and 2024 regarding the number of fatalities occurring on U.S. roads decreased after soaring in 2020 and 2021, recent traffic deaths remain significantly higher than a decade ago – up 20% since 2014.
In its July 2025 report, “Addressing America’s Traffic Safety Crisis: Examining the Causes of Increasing U.S. Traffic Fatalities and Identifying Solutions to Improve Traffic Safety,” The Road Information Program (TRIP) studies the increase in traffic deaths from 2014-2024 and looks at an across-the-board approach to reduce the nation’s number of traffic fatalities.
Traffic deaths in the U.S. in 2022, 2023 and 2024 decreased 9% from the high mark of 43,230 fatalities in 2021. A similar decrease occurred in Ohio as well – as there were 14% fewer traffic fatalities the past three years than in 2021. According to TRIP statistics, Ohio’s reduction from 1,160 traffic fatalities in 2024 compared to 2021’s 1,354 road deaths tied for 14th-best improvement in the U.S.; Louisiana’s 23% reduction in traffic fatalities in 2024 compared to 2021 led the nation – as the U.S. recorded 39,345 fatalities last year.
Ironically, the surge of vehicular fatalities in 2021 coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and occurred when fewer cars were on the roadways. Fewer vehicles meant less congestion and more open roads that played into riskier driving habits by motorists, such as excessive speeding and aggressive maneuvers, impaired and distracted driving and reduced seatbelt use. This combination of poor motorists’ habits coupled with less safety enforcement resulted in more vehicle deaths. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the fatality rate for drivers during COVID-19 (2019-2020) increased 23% per 100-million miles traveled, and as normal travel conditions returned in 2021 risky driving habits continued.
(Editor’s note: Examples of risky driving habits carrying over from the pandemic can be seen in NHTSA’s 2019-2024 data, which shows speed-related traffic crashes increased 16% and distraction-affected fatalities grew 5% over that span.)
Post-COVID & Recent Improvements
There are several reasons for the recent three-year trend of fewer transportation fatalities. Ohio’s fewer road deaths since 2021 have been credited to stronger distracted driving laws and enforcement campaigns, increased investment in road safety improvements and other policies. However, the words of Gov. Mike DeWine echo those of transportation leaders talking nationally when he said: “It’s certainly encouraging to know that traffic fatalities dropped again last year – marking the third consecutive year of declining traffic deaths – but the number of people killed on Ohio’s roads is still far too high.”
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Executive Director Jim Tymon reiterated Gov. DeWine’s sentiments. “State DOTs across the country are encouraged to see progress in driving down roadway fatalities, but we still have so far to go.”
While the TRIP report highlighted the recent improvement of fewer traffic fatalities it also diametrically cast a light on how dangerous U.S. roads have become in the past more than 10 years. According to the report, “despite decreases in fatalities in recent years, the number of fatalities in 2024 was 20% higher than a decade earlier in 2014 …”
According to data from the NHTSA and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), 6,670 more people died on U.S. roads in 2024 than they did in 2014, as there were increased fatalities in 43 states when comparing those two years. Ohio suffered 154 more road fatalities (15% more) in 2024 compared to 2014 – which was the 22nd-largest increase among states. Arizona led the nation with 62% (480 deaths) more road deaths in 2024 than in 2014.
High Cost of Crashes & Casualties
The cost of traffic crashes carries with it a hefty price. TRIP estimates that fatal and serious traffic incidences – based on emergency services and medical care, lost productivity, legal/court, insurance administrative, workplace, congestion impact, property and lost quality-of-life costs – equated to a price tag in 2024 of $1.83 trillion in “societal harm.”
| Category | Year | Change | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2014-24 | 2021-24 | |
| U.S. Traffic Fatalities | 32,744 | 36,355 | 29,007 | 43,230 | 42,514 | 40,901 | 39,345 | +20% | -9% |
| U.S. Fatality Rate* | 1.08 | 1.11 | 1.34 | 1.38 | 1.33 | 1.26 | 1.20 | +11% | -13% |
| Ohio Traffic Fatalities | 1,006 | 1,153 | 1,230 | 1,354 | 1,275 | 1,242 | 1,160 | +15% | -14% |
| Ohio Fatality Rate* | 0.89 | 1.01 | 1.19 | 1.20 | 1.15 | 1.10 | 1.03 | +16% | -14% |
According to TRIP’s “Key Facts About Ohio’s Surface Transportation System,” which was simultaneously released with its July 2025 report: “Traffic crashes in Ohio imposed a total of $15 billion in economic costs in 2024.
In addition to studying statistics and economic impacts of road fatalities, the TRIP report looked at the U.S. DOT’s-adopted National Roadway Safety Strategy – which state DOTs around the country are implementing. Described by TRIP as “a comprehensive roadmap for addressing the nation’s roadway safety crisis,” the National Roadway Safety Strategy has been used since 2022 – and based on the recent reduction in traffic fatalities has been a success.
What Is a Safe System Approach?
“The Safe System Approach has been embraced by the transportation community as an effective way to address and mitigate the risks inherent in our enormous and complex
transportation system. It works by building and reinforcing multiple layers of protection to both prevent crashes from happening in the first place and minimize the harm caused to those involved when crashes do occur. It is a holistic and comprehensive approach that provides a guiding framework to make places safer for people.”
Safe System Objectives
There are five objectives in the Safe System Strategy approach:
- Safer People – encourages safe, responsible behavior by people who use our roads
- Safer Roads – design roadway environments to mitigate human mistakes
- Safer Vehicles – expand the availability of vehicle systems and features that help to prevent crashes
- Safer Speeds – promote safer speeds on all roadway environments through roadway design, education, outreach and enforcement
- Post-Crash Care – enhance the survivability of crashes through expedient access to emergency medical care
“State DOTs are focusing on ‘centering safety,’ or ensuring safety is at the center of every action they take,” said Tymon.
To assist the progress in safer travel on the nation’s roadways, the NHTSA helps states achieve Safe System objectives through grants. These safety grants are awarded to states submitting a highway safety plan that includes proven “safety countermeasures.” The TRIP report highlights 14 of the U.S. DOT’s 28 safety countermeasures proven most effective for improving roadway safety:
Effective Safety Countermeasures
| Roadway Countermeasure | Documented Benefits |
|---|---|
| Application of Pavement Friction Treatments | Reduce total crashes at intersections by 20% |
| Bicycle Lanes | Reduce bicycle/vehicle crashes by 53% |
| Center-line Rumble Strips | Reduce head-on fatal/injury crashes on rural two-lane roads by 44%-64% |
| Crosswalk Visibility Enhancements | Reduce pedestrian injury crashes by 40% |
| Dedicated Left-turn Lanes | Reduce fatal/injury crashes by 36% |
| Improved Lane Markings/Signage at Intersections | Reduce fatal/injury crashes by 10% at all intersections & 25% at rural intersections |
| Improved Lighting at Intersections | Reduce nighttime crashes on rural/urban highways by 28% |
| Improved Lighting/Markings/Signalization at Crosswalks | Reduce pedestrian injury crashes by 40% |
| Improved Signage/Lane Markings at Curves | Reduce non-intersection fatal/injury crashes by 16% |
| Pavement Friction Management | Reduce intersection crashes by 20% |
| Retroreflective Backplates on Traffic Signals | Reduce crashes by 15% |
| Roundabouts | Reduce fatal/injury crashes by 82% |
| Sidewalks | Reduce crashes involving pedestrians along roadways by 65%-89% |
| Wider Edge Lanes | Reduce fatal/injury crashes on rural two-lane roads by 37% |
Along with heralding the nation’s recent safety improvements on its roadways, TRIP’s Addressing America’s Traffic Safety Crisis report says additional funding is needed, stating: “Increasing investment in roadway safety improvements is likely to result in reduced fatal and serious traffic crashes.” An AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report found that by implementing cost-effective and needed roadway safety improvements, the nation “would save approximately 63,700 lives and reduce the number of serious injuries as a result of traffic crashes by approximately 350,000 over a 20-year period.”
Assisting in the nation’s roadway safety improvements is the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), which is set to expire Sept. 30, 2026. The current federal transportation investment includes funding to address traffic safety, such as $6 billion for the Safe Streets & Roads for All Program; $17 billion for the Highway Safety Improvement Program; $4 billion for improved crash data and vehicle, behavior and truck safety programs; $300 million for rural road safety; and $120 million for tribal road safety.
TRIP’s report concludes that addressing the nation’s traffic safety challenge on its roadways requires “robust investment and coordinated activities by transportation and safety-related agencies in providing the needed layers of protection for the nation’s motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, including safe road users, safe roads, safe vehicles, safe speeds and high-quality post-crash care.” “As we look at the next federal surface transportation reauthorization,” said Tymon, “we see an opportunity to make robust investments in our transportation networks and build on the success we have seen the last few years in reducing the number of roadway fatalities.”
Improved Traffic Fatality Statistics Not Telling Whole Story
Despite overall improvements in traffic fatalities the past few years, it should be noted that U.S. roads in recent years have become more dangerous for a certain sector of traveler.
TRIP highlights the U.S.’s almost 10% decline in overall traffic fatalities from 2021-2024, however, those same roadways are experiencing a spike in the number of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists being killed.
“Each year,” according to FHWA’s https://highways.dot.gov/, “unfortunately, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities comprise about 20% of all traffic fatalities with approximately 7,000 pedestrian deaths and 1,000 bicyclist deaths. Another 60,000 pedestrians and 42,000 bicyclists are injured in roadway crashes annually.”
According to TRIP’s 2025 “Addressing America’s Traffic Safety Crisis” report, from 2019-2024, fatalities among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists on the nation’s roadways rose 14%, 31% and 24%, respectively. NHTSA statistics showed that bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities accounted for more than one in every five traffic deaths in 2024, while TRIP analysis of 2023 statistics showed motorcyclists having a 29-times higher fatality rate than passenger car occupants.
Despite higher fatality rates nationally among pedestrians, Ohio is seeing fewer pedestrians being killed. In October 2024, in preparation for “National Pedestrian Safety Month,” the Ohio Department of Transportation reported a “steady decline” from 2021’s all-time state high of 176 pedestrians killed. In 2022 and 2023, Ohio had 6% and 9% declines, respectively in pedestrian casualties on state roadways. (Editor’s note: In 2024, Ohio recorded another 17% decline in pedestrian fatalities over 2023.)
A November 2022 The New York Times article took transportation departments to task, writing that “America’s road safety record lies with a transportation system primarily designed to move cars quickly, not to move people safely.”
The Times article, “The Exceptionally American Problem of Rising Roadway Deaths, Why Other Rich Nations Have Surpassed the U.S. in Protecting Pedestrians, Cyclists and Motorists,” noted that since the early 2000s, other nations have changed their transportation infrastructure to be more compatible for pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist travel by lowering speed limits, building more safer bike lanes and standardizing in-vehicle technology to detect pedestrians. “In the U.S. … by contrast,” the article pinpointed, “vehicles have grown significantly bigger and thus deadlier to the people they hit. Many states curb the ability of local governments to set lower speed limits. The five-star federal safety rating that consumers look for when buying a car today doesn’t take into consideration what that car might do to pedestrians.”
According to The New York Times, transportation advocates suggest the nation’s roads can be made safer for all travelers by “outfitting trucks with side underride guards to prevent people from being pulled underneath, or narrowing the roads that cars share with bikes so that drivers intuit they should drive slower.”