Table 2. Passenger Vehicle Fatal Crash Statistics, 1975-2004
Year |
Fatal Crashes |
Vehicles Involved |
Occupant Fatalities |
Total Fatalities |
Million Vehicle Miles Traveled |
Fatal Crashes per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled |
Vehicles Involved in Fatal Crashes per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled |
Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled |
Passenger Vehicles Registered |
1975 |
35,057 |
46,533 |
30,785 |
40,187 |
1,234,650 |
2.84 |
3.77 |
3.25 |
115,364,709 |
1976 |
35,242 |
46,506 |
31,604 |
40,724 |
1,304,049 |
2.70 |
3.57 |
3.12 |
119,806,386 |
1977 |
37,197 |
49,438 |
32,758 |
42,599 |
1,359,834 |
2.74 |
3.64 |
3.13 |
123,400,366 |
1978 |
39,226 |
52,442 |
34,898 |
44,870 |
1,425,922 |
2.75 |
3.68 |
3.15 |
129,141,048 |
1979 |
39,637 |
52,543 |
34,986 |
45,207 |
1,405,545 |
2.82 |
3.74 |
3.22 |
132,476,608 |
1980 |
39,623 |
51,739 |
34,935 |
45,139 |
1,402,531 |
2.83 |
3.69 |
3.22 |
134,831,752 |
1981 |
38,544 |
51,195 |
33,726 |
43,586 |
1,429,675 |
2.70 |
3.58 |
3.05 |
137,239,007 |
1982 |
34,619 |
45,651 |
29,689 |
39,262 |
1,467,854 |
2.36 |
3.11 |
2.67 |
139,244,282 |
1983 |
33,481 |
44,416 |
29,181 |
37,866 |
1,522,697 |
2.20 |
2.92 |
2.49 |
142,153,582 |
1984 |
34,979 |
46,621 |
30,116 |
39,382 |
1,585,049 |
2.21 |
2.94 |
2.48 |
147,435,149 |
1985 |
34,567 |
46,741 |
29,901 |
38,976 |
1,637,759 |
2.11 |
2.85 |
2.38 |
154,013,265 |
1986 |
36,612 |
49,522 |
32,261 |
41,373 |
1,694,082 |
2.16 |
2.92 |
2.44 |
157,031,560 |
1987 |
37,342 |
51,094 |
33,190 |
42,119 |
1,772,852 |
2.11 |
2.88 |
2.38 |
161,543,801 |
1988 |
38,252 |
52,263 |
34,114 |
43,069 |
1,872,478 |
2.04 |
2.79 |
2.30 |
166,118,639 |
1989 |
37,102 |
51,110 |
33,614 |
41,782 |
1,937,696 |
1.91 |
2.64 |
2.16 |
169,892,626 |
1990 |
36,281 |
49,705 |
32,693 |
40,879 |
1,982,837 |
1.83 |
2.51 |
2.06 |
173,193,097 |
1991 |
33,701 |
46,123 |
30,776 |
38,134 |
2,007,579 |
1.68 |
2.30 |
1.90 |
175,389,400 |
1992 |
32,109 |
44,465 |
29,485 |
36,323 |
2,078,432 |
1.54 |
2.14 |
1.75 |
174,182,793 |
1993 |
32,969 |
45,565 |
30,077 |
37,222 |
2,120,459 |
1.55 |
2.15 |
1.76 |
177,629,233 |
1994 |
33,390 |
46,626 |
30,901 |
37,742 |
2,170,723 |
1.54 |
2.15 |
1.74 |
181,482,575 |
1995 |
34,555 |
48,527 |
31,991 |
39,014 |
2,228,323 |
1.55 |
2.18 |
1.75 |
185,762,753 |
1996 |
34,792 |
48,973 |
32,438 |
39,265 |
2,286,394 |
1.52 |
2.14 |
1.72 |
190,051,664 |
1997 |
34,595 |
48,687 |
32,448 |
39,187 |
2,353,295 |
1.47 |
2.07 |
1.67 |
191,960,390 |
1998 |
34,274 |
48,403 |
31,899 |
38,539 |
2,417,852 |
1.42 |
2.00 |
1.59 |
195,749,209 |
1999 |
34,163 |
47,896 |
32,127 |
38,571 |
2,470,122 |
1.38 |
1.94 |
1.56 |
200,012,521 |
2000 |
34,379 |
48,300 |
32,225 |
38,695 |
2,523,346 |
1.36 |
1.91 |
1.53 |
203,913,482 |
2001 |
34,496 |
48,417 |
32,043 |
38,725 |
2,571,539 |
1.34 |
1.88 |
1.51 |
207,719,870 |
2002 |
35,123 |
49,042 |
32,843 |
39,514 |
2,624,508 |
1.34 |
1.87 |
1.51 |
211,992,662 |
2003 |
34,879 |
48,861 |
32,271 |
39,148 |
2,656,173 |
1.31 |
1.84 |
1.47 |
216,729,606 |
2004 |
34,314 |
47,844 |
31,693 |
38,531 |
2,719,324 |
1.26 |
1.76 |
1.42 |
223,213,958 |
Note: A passenger vehicle is defined as a car or light truck (including pickups, vans, and sport utility vehicles).
Sources: Vehicle Miles of Travel: Federal Highway Administration. Registered Vehicles: R.L. Polk & Co. Fatal Crashes, Vehicles Involved, and Fatalities: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).