WASHINGTON, D.C. — Responsibility.org issued the following statement from Executive Director Leslie Kimball in response to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this week, marking the decline in traffic fatalities for the third consecutive year.
“This data is good news indeed,” said Kimball. “Particularly during April, Alcohol Responsibility Month, we are pleased to see that traffic fatalities overall, and drunk driving deaths specifically, declined in 2024. We all have the right to drive on roads free from drunk drivers, and are proud of the law enforcement officers, judges, legislators, and responsible drivers who are dedicated to making decisions and influencing behaviors that make our roads safer and avoid preventable injury and death.”
Some key data points from the research include:
- In 2024, more than 1,700 fewer people died in motor vehicle crashes than in 2023, a decrease of more than four percent from 41,025 to 39,254.
- Alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for almost one-third (30%) of all traffic fatalities, decreasing nearly four percent from 12,382 in 2023 to 11,904 in 2024.
- Thirty states and the District of Columbia reported declines in the number of drunk driving fatalities between 2023 and 2024; however, 19 states saw an increase in the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities on their roadways and one state had no change since 2023.
In addition to alcohol-impaired driving, NHTSA also tracks speeding involvement and safety restraint use as major factors involved in traffic fatalities. In 2024, all three human behavior factors—speed, seal belt use, and alcohol-impairment, decreased. Speeding, accounting for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities, declined more than five percent, and unrestrained passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes declined more than seven percent, accounting for 48% of known restraint use.
“Although these overall numbers affirm that the efforts we make to prevent drunk- and impaired driving crashes every day are successful, we must remember 100% of all alcohol-related deaths and injuries that happen on our roadways are preventable,” continued Kimball. “The NHTSA numbers reinforce Responsibility.org’s commitment to empowering responsible alcohol choices and safe driving practices. We know that education, public awareness campaigns, targeted advocacy and the use of evidence-based countermeasures are keys to reducing impaired driving fatalities. We will continue to work with all of our funders, partners, and stakeholders to make our roads safer for everyone. Responsibility starts here, and it continues together.”
Included in the NHTSA data are early estimates for 2025 traffic fatalities, projecting 36,640 people died in fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes, representing a decrease of 6.7 percent compared to the 39,254 fatalities reported for 2024. This marks the lowest fatality rate since the pandemic-related increase in 2020. Additionally, the data reported Americans continue to drive more, with vehicle miles traveled (VMT) increasing about one percent, and the overall number of fatalities decreasing. In 2025, the overall fatality rate dropped to 1.10 people per 100 million VMT (the second lowest level in recorded history) from the reported 1.19 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2024.
To learn more about the programs and initiatives from Responsibility.org that continue to convene leaders and save lives, and to participate in Alcohol Responsibility Month, visit www.responsibility.org.
