| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 974[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 179[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 6.2[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 3,158,027[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Orange County, California recorded 974 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, according to NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In 2024 the county saw 179 car accident deaths, which made up 89.9% of all traffic deaths that year. Across the full five-year span, car accident deaths accounted for 88.3% of the 1,103 traffic deaths recorded in the county.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
On this page a car accident is a fatal crash involving at least one passenger vehicle, such as a passenger car, SUV, pickup or van, and the deaths counted include everyone killed in those crashes, whether they were in the passenger vehicle, in another vehicle, or a nonoccupant. Figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System together with Census Bureau population estimates used to calculate rates.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Orange County by year
Car accident deaths in Orange County ranged from 171 in 2020 to 223 in 2022 across the five years covered on this page. Deaths rose from 171 in 2020 to 200 in 2021, then to 223 in 2022 before falling to 201 in 2023 and 179 in 2024. The highest year was 2022, with 223 car accident deaths, and the lowest was 2020, with 171. Comparing the two ends of the period, 2024 had 8 more car accident deaths than 2020.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 171 | 193 | 88.6% |
| 2021 | 200 | 230 | 87.0% |
| 2022 | 223 | 250 | 89.2% |
| 2023 | 201 | 231 | 87.0% |
| 2024 | 179 | 199 | 89.9% |
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 Orange County car accidents
Among the 974 car accident deaths recorded in Orange County from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 445 deaths, or 45.7%. People in other vehicles made up 116 deaths, or 11.9%. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping), a category covering fatal people in selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes, accounted for 413 deaths, or 42.4%, of the total. A car accident lawyer reviewing this page should note that these categories are grouped by where the crash occurred, not by the residency of those killed.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
How the fatal car crashes happened
Manner of collision breaks the 974 car accident deaths down by the crash's first harmful event. Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounts for 634 deaths, or 65.1%, and covers first harmful events such as striking a pedestrian, a cyclist, a parked vehicle or a fixed object, or a rollover, rather than a collision between motor vehicles in transport. Of the 974 car accident deaths, Angle (side impact) collisions account for 174 deaths (17.9%), Rear-end for 87 (8.9%), Head-on for 46 (4.7%) and Sideswipe for 28 (2.9%). Other and Unknown account for 2 (0.2%) and 3 (0.3%) deaths respectively.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Time of day and setting
Of the 974 car accident deaths recorded in Orange County from 2020 through 2024, 630 occurred during nighttime hours (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.), a 64.7% share, while 340 occurred during daytime hours (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.), a 34.9% share. Urban land use accounted for 967 of the deaths, a 99.3% share, compared with 6 deaths, or 0.6%, in rural areas. Car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck totaled 28, a 2.9% share of the 974 car accident deaths.[1][2][3][4][5]
Car accident death rate compared with California and the United States
Orange County's average annual rate of 6.2 deaths per 100,000 residents sits below the California rate of 9.3 and the national rate of 10.5 for 2020 through 2024. Among the four listed neighboring counties, Los Angeles County had a rate of 6.9, San Diego County 7.7, Riverside County 11.5 and San Bernardino County 15.9, with San Bernardino County the highest among the listed neighbors and Los Angeles County the lowest. Orange County's rate of 6.2 was lower than each of these four neighboring rates. This rate reflects average annual deaths per 100,000 residents and does not adjust for miles driven or for visitors to the county.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Area | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Orange County, California | 974 | 6.2 |
| California | 18,231 | 9.3 |
| United States | 176,219 | 10.5 |
| Los Angeles County, California (neighbor) | 3,405 | 6.9 |
| San Bernardino County, California (neighbor) | 1,746 | 15.9 |
| Riverside County, California (neighbor) | 1,421 | 11.5 |
| San Diego County, California (neighbor) | 1,265 | 7.7 |
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
Looking at all fatal crashes in Orange County, of any vehicle type, as shares of all traffic deaths from 2020 through 2024, Pedestrian involved crashes accounted for 395 deaths, a 35.8% share, the largest among the recorded characteristics listed. At an intersection accounted for 380 deaths (34.5%), Speeding-related for 374 (33.9%), Roadway departure for 324 (29.4%) and Motorcycle involved for 186 (16.9%). Hit-and-run accounted for 128 deaths (11.6%), Driver distraction reported for 54 (4.9%) and In a work zone for 39 (3.5%), the smallest share listed. Since a single crash can carry several characteristics, these shares overlap and do not add to 100%.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Recorded crash characteristic (all fatal crashes) | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Share of all traffic deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 374 | 33.9% |
| Roadway departure | 324 | 29.4% |
| At an intersection | 380 | 34.5% |
| Pedestrian involved | 395 | 35.8% |
| Motorcycle involved | 186 | 16.9% |
| Hit-and-run | 128 | 11.6% |
| Driver distraction reported | 54 | 4.9% |
| In a work zone | 39 | 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
Figures on this page come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes in which a vehicle occupant or nonoccupant dies within 30 days on a trafficway open to the public. Deaths are grouped by the county where the crash happened, not by where the people killed lived. Data for 2020 through 2023 come from FARS Final Files, while 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and may change when NHTSA issues the Final File for that year. Rates divide deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates and do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors. FARS covers fatal crashes only, so nonfatal crashes and injuries are not reflected in any of these figures.[8][6][7]
See also
References
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnop "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqr "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefg "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
- abcde "Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- ^ "Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2024 (DOT HS 813 791, April 2026)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record