Alabama car accident statistics (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in Alabama by year

The annual car accident death count rose from 855 in 2020 to 890 in 2021, then fell to 878 in 2022, 873 in 2023 and 842 in 2024. The highest count was in 2021, and the lowest was in 2024. The 2024 count was 13 deaths lower than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Alabama's share of the national car accident death total was 2.6% in 2020, 2.4% in 2021, 2.4% in 2022, 2.5% in 2023 and 2.5% in 2024. Across the full period, Alabama accounted for 2.5% of the national total of 176,219 deaths. The annual shares compare Alabama deaths with the corresponding national total for each year.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.

Who died in Alabama car accidents

People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 3,472 deaths, or 80.0% of Alabama's car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 309 deaths, or 7.1%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 557 deaths, or 12.8%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Each category counts deaths in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes. The Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) label follows FARS classifications and is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle. These categories describe people killed, rather than separate crash counts.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Collision types and setting

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Death counts were 759 for Angle (side impact), 751 for Head-on, 336 for Rear-end, 118 for Sideswipe, 22 for Other and 7 for Unknown. Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 2,345 deaths. That row means the first harmful event was not between motor vehicles in transport; examples include a rollover or striking a fixed object. A vehicle stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime accounted for 2,098 car accident deaths (48.4%); nighttime accounted for 2,228 (51.4%). Urban deaths numbered 1,903 (43.9%), and rural deaths numbered 2,430 (56.0%).^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most car accident deaths

Jefferson County had the most car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024, with 477, followed by Mobile County with 348. Madison County recorded 211 deaths, Montgomery County 195 and Tuscaloosa County 183. The listed counts also include Baldwin County at 128, Limestone County at 109, Cullman County at 106 and Talladega County at 100.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Marshall County recorded 98 deaths, Calhoun County 97, Lee County 93, St. Clair County 92, Morgan County 91 and Etowah County 86. These are death counts grouped by crash county. Rates measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents: among the listed counties, Talladega County had the highest rate at 24.7, while Lee County had the lowest at 10.3. Jefferson County's rate was 14.3.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.

How Alabama compares with the national rate

Alabama's car accident death rate was 17.1, compared with the national rate of 10.5. Both figures express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Alabama's rate was higher than the national rate. The corresponding death counts were 4,338 for Alabama and 176,219 for the United States.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The rates use the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates for the period, rather than a single year's population. Alabama's separately reported 2024 population estimate of 5,163,055 is not the rate's denominator. These rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors, and deaths are assigned by crash location. Readers searching for a car accident lawyer should keep that location grouping in mind when reading the counts.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

About these figures

FARS is NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county counts follow crash location, not the deceased person's residence.^[8][6][7]

Data for 2020 through 2023 use FARS Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File remains subject to revision when NHTSA publishes the Final File. Rates divide deaths for 2020 through 2024 by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. This produces average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustments for miles driven or visitors; the separate 2024 population estimate is not the denominator.^[8][6][7]

See also

• FARS Annual Report File and Final File
• Car accident statistics for Jefferson County, Alabama (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Mobile County, Alabama (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Madison County, Alabama (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Montgomery County, Alabama (2020-2024)
• Car accident statistics for Tuscaloosa County, Alabama (2020-2024)