| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 1,265[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 262[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 7.7[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 3,287,542[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
San Diego County recorded 1,265 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, including 262 in 2024 alone. Those car accident deaths made up 85.1% of the 1,486 all traffic deaths in the county over that five-year span, with the remainder coming from crashes that did not involve a passenger vehicle.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
On this page, a car accident is a fatal crash involving at least one 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 and from Census Bureau population estimates.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in San Diego County by year
Car accident deaths in San Diego County ranged from 241 in 2020 to 272 in 2021 across the five years studied. The year 2021 recorded the highest total at 272 deaths, while 2020 recorded the lowest at 241 deaths. Totals moved between those points through the middle years, with 246 deaths in 2022 and 244 deaths in 2023, before reaching 262 in 2024. From 2020 to 2024, car accident deaths were 21 deaths higher, going from 241 to 262.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 241 | 293 | 82.3% |
| 2021 | 272 | 316 | 86.1% |
| 2022 | 246 | 286 | 86.0% |
| 2023 | 244 | 288 | 84.7% |
| 2024 | 262 | 303 | 86.5% |
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 San Diego County car accidents
Among the 1,265 car accident deaths recorded from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 671 deaths, a 53.0% share, making up the majority of this total. People in other vehicles accounted for 132 deaths, or 10.4%. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 462 deaths, a 36.5% share of the five-year total.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
How the fatal car crashes happened
Of the 1,265 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, 864 deaths, or 68.3%, fall under Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport, the majority of the total. This category covers crashes whose first harmful event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport, such as striking a nonoccupant, a parked vehicle or a fixed object, or a rollover. Among collisions with another motor vehicle in transport, Angle (side impact) accounted for 133 deaths (10.5%), Head-on for 115 deaths (9.1%), Rear-end for 100 deaths (7.9%) and Sideswipe for 47 deaths (3.7%). Other and Unknown manners accounted for 4 and 2 deaths respectively.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Time of day and setting
Nighttime hours (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) accounted for 781 car accident deaths, or 61.7%, the majority of the five-year total, compared with 471 deaths, or 37.2%, in daytime hours (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.). Urban land use accounted for 1,052 car accident deaths, or 83.2%, also a majority, while rural land use accounted for 209 deaths, or 16.5%. Crashes that also involved a large truck accounted for 57 car accident deaths, a 4.5% share of the county's five-year total.[1][2][3][4][5]
Car accident death rate compared with California and the United States
San Diego County's average annual rate of 7.7 deaths per 100,000 residents sits lower than the California rate of 9.3 and the national rate of 10.5. Among the listed neighboring counties, the rate is lower than Riverside County's 11.5 and Imperial County's 16.9, and higher than Orange County's 6.2, which is the lowest among the listed neighboring counties while Imperial County's rate is the highest among them. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego County, California | 1,265 | 7.7 |
| California | 18,231 | 9.3 |
| United States | 176,219 | 10.5 |
| Riverside County, California (neighbor) | 1,421 | 11.5 |
| Orange County, California (neighbor) | 974 | 6.2 |
| Imperial County, California (neighbor) | 152 | 16.9 |
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 recorded in San Diego County from 2020 through 2024, regardless of vehicle type, roadway departure was the recorded characteristic with the largest share of all traffic deaths at 43.0% (639 deaths), and in a work zone carried the smallest listed share at 2.5% (37 deaths). Pedestrian involved crashes were tied to 31.8% of all traffic deaths (472 deaths), speeding-related crashes to 31.3% (465 deaths), at an intersection to 22.7% (337 deaths), motorcycle involved to 17.2% (256 deaths), hit-and-run to 10.3% (153 deaths) and driver distraction reported to 4.4% (66 deaths). Because a single crash can carry several characteristics, these shares overlap rather than add to 100%.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Recorded crash characteristic (all fatal crashes) | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Share of all traffic deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 465 | 31.3% |
| Roadway departure | 639 | 43.0% |
| At an intersection | 337 | 22.7% |
| Pedestrian involved | 472 | 31.8% |
| Motorcycle involved | 256 | 17.2% |
| Hit-and-run | 153 | 10.3% |
| Driver distraction reported | 66 | 4.4% |
| In a work zone | 37 | 2.5% |
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
These figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on public trafficways where a vehicle occupant or nonoccupant dies within 30 days. Counts are grouped by the county where the crash occurred, not by where the people killed lived, so a car accident lawyer reviewing this page should note it describes crash location rather than residency. The 2020 to 2023 figures are FARS Final Files, while the 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and may be revised. Rates divide five-year deaths by summed annual population estimates, producing an average annual figure per 100,000 residents rather than one adjusted for miles traveled. FARS covers fatal crashes only, so nonfatal crashes and injuries are not part of this page.[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