| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 253[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 43[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 17.4[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 296,807[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Merced County car accident statistics show 253 deaths from 2020 through 2024, representing 87.5% of the county's 289 traffic deaths. In 2024, car accident deaths numbered 43 and accounted for 93.5% of the 46 traffic deaths recorded that year. The period's car accident deaths occurred in 229 fatal crashes, with an average of 50.6 deaths per year.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Here, a car accident means a fatal crash involving at least one passenger car, SUV, pickup or van. The death count includes everyone killed in those crashes, using the categories People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans, People in other vehicles, and Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping). The figures draw on NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and Census Bureau population estimates.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Merced County by year
Car accident deaths increased from 40 in 2020 to 57 in 2021, then reached 62 in 2022. The count fell to 51 in 2023 and 43 in 2024. The highest year was 2022, while 2020 had the lowest count. The 2024 count was 3 deaths higher than the 2020 count.[1][2][3][4][5]
The corresponding all-traffic death counts were 46 in 2020, 67 in 2021, 71 in 2022, 59 in 2023 and 46 in 2024. Car accident deaths accounted for 87.0%, 85.1%, 87.3%, 86.4% and 93.5% of those respective yearly totals. That share was highest in 2024 and lowest in 2021, although the death count itself was highest in 2022.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 40 | 46 | 87.0% |
| 2021 | 57 | 67 | 85.1% |
| 2022 | 62 | 71 | 87.3% |
| 2023 | 51 | 59 | 86.4% |
| 2024 | 43 | 46 | 93.5% |
Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.
Who died in Merced County car accidents
People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 177 deaths, or 70.0% of car accident deaths in Merced County from 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 22 deaths, or 8.7%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 54 deaths, or 21.3%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
These categories describe the people killed in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes. Each share uses the 253 deaths in those crashes as its denominator. The grouping follows FARS person types and vehicle classifications, with counts assigned to the crash location.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
How the fatal car crashes happened
Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Angle (side impact) accounted for 56 deaths (22.1%), Head-on for 38 (15.0%), Rear-end for 16 (6.3%) and Sideswipe for 5 (2.0%). Other and Unknown each recorded 2 deaths (0.8%).[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 134 deaths (53.0%). This means the first harmful event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport. Examples include striking a pedestrian, cyclist, parked vehicle or fixed object, or a rollover. A motor vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic; the classification does not test whether another vehicle was physically moving.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Time of day and setting
Daytime, defined as 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 100 car accident deaths (39.5%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 145 deaths (57.3%). Time of day was unknown for 8 deaths (3.2%). These counts cover 2020 through 2024.[1][2][3][4][5]
The land-use classification recorded 113 deaths in urban locations (44.7%) and 140 in rural locations (55.3%). Rural locations had the larger death count. Separately, car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 34, representing 13.4% of the county's car accident deaths during the period.[1][2][3][4][5]
Car accident death rate compared with California and the United States
Merced County's rate was 17.4 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. California's rate was 9.3, and the national rate was 10.5. The county rate was higher than both. These rates measure deaths in the passenger-vehicle-involved fatal crashes included in the car accident statistics.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Among the listed neighboring counties, rates were 15.9 in Fresno County, 5.3 in Santa Clara County, 14.9 in Stanislaus County and 18.7 in Madera County. Merced County's rate was higher than Fresno, Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties' rates and lower than Madera County's rate. The calculation uses the sum of annual Census population estimates. It does not adjust for miles driven or visitors.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Area | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Merced County, California | 253 | 17.4 |
| California | 18,231 | 9.3 |
| United States | 176,219 | 10.5 |
| Fresno County, California (neighbor) | 811 | 15.9 |
| Santa Clara County, California (neighbor) | 504 | 5.3 |
| Stanislaus County, California (neighbor) | 413 | 14.9 |
| Madera County, California (neighbor) | 151 | 18.7 |
Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.
Recorded characteristics of all fatal crashes
Recorded characteristics cover all fatal crashes in Merced County, of any vehicle type. Shares use all traffic deaths: Speeding-related, 55 deaths (19.0%); Roadway departure, 128 (44.3%); At an intersection, 72 (24.9%); Pedestrian involved, 57 (19.7%); Motorcycle involved, 35 (12.1%); Hit-and-run, 27 (9.3%); Driver distraction reported, 14 (4.8%); and In a work zone, 10 (3.5%).[1][2][3][4][5]
A crash can have several recorded characteristics, so these rows overlap and do not add to 100%. They are not findings of fault or cause. Their denominator is the county's 289 traffic deaths, rather than its 253 car accident deaths.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Recorded crash characteristic (all fatal crashes) | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Share of all traffic deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 55 | 19.0% |
| Roadway departure | 128 | 44.3% |
| At an intersection | 72 | 24.9% |
| Pedestrian involved | 57 | 19.7% |
| Motorcycle involved | 35 | 12.1% |
| Hit-and-run | 27 | 9.3% |
| Driver distraction reported | 14 | 4.8% |
| In a work zone | 10 | 3.5% |
A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. These are recorded characteristics, not findings of fault.
About these figures
FARS is a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, with a death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. Counts follow crash location, not residence. Readers searching for a car accident lawyer should keep that location grouping in mind when reading these counts.[8][6][7]
The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates divide deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025 and multiply by 100,000. The separate July 1, 2024 estimate of 296,807 is not the rate denominator. Rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.[8][6][7]
See also
References
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwx "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghi "Annual resident population estimates for counties, April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (CO-EST2025-ALLDATA)". U.S. Census Bureau. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefgh "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- ab "Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record