| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 376[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 70[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 15.7[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 483,851[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Tulare County car accident statistics record 376 deaths from 2020 through 2024, representing 91.5% of the county's 411 traffic deaths during that period. In 2024, car accidents accounted for 70 deaths, or 97.2% of the 72 traffic deaths recorded that year. The period's car accident deaths occurred in 343 fatal crashes. These counts identify where crashes happened, rather than where the people who died lived.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
A car accident here means a fatal crash involving at least one passenger car, SUV, pickup or van. The death count includes everyone killed in those crashes, across all the listed person categories. NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System supplies the fatal crash records, while Census Bureau population estimates provide the population figures used to calculate average annual death rates.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Tulare County by year
Car accident deaths rose from 75 in 2020 to 82 in 2021, the highest annual count during the period. They fell to 75 in 2022, then to 74 in 2023 and 70 in 2024. The lowest count was in 2024, with 5 fewer deaths than in 2020. The counts for 2020 and 2022 were equal.[1][2][3][4][5]
All traffic deaths followed the same annual direction, rising from 83 in 2020 to 91 in 2021 before falling to 83 in 2022, 82 in 2023 and 72 in 2024. The share attributed to car accidents was 90.4%, 90.1%, 90.4%, 90.2% and 97.2%, respectively. Although 2024 had the lowest death count, it had the highest share.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 75 | 83 | 90.4% |
| 2021 | 82 | 91 | 90.1% |
| 2022 | 75 | 83 | 90.4% |
| 2023 | 74 | 82 | 90.2% |
| 2024 | 70 | 72 | 97.2% |
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 Tulare County car accidents
People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 269 deaths, or 71.5% of car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category and represented the majority of deaths. People in other vehicles accounted for 36 deaths, or 9.6%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 71 deaths, or 18.9%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
These labels classify the people who died in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes. Whether reading with a car accident lawyer in mind or reviewing the statistics independently, keep the person categories distinct from the vehicles that qualified a crash for inclusion.[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 110 deaths (29.3%), Head-on for 44 (11.7%), Rear-end for 24 (6.4%), Sideswipe for 13 (3.5%) and Other for 1 (0.3%).[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 184 deaths (48.9%). 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 require physical movement.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Time of day and setting
Daytime (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) accounted for 154 car accident deaths, or 41.0%, from 2020 through 2024. Nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) accounted for 217 deaths, or 57.7%, the majority. Time of day was Unknown for 5 deaths, or 1.3%.[1][2][3][4][5]
The land-use classification recorded 178 deaths in Urban settings, or 47.3%, and 198 in Rural settings, or 52.7%. Separately, crashes that also involved a large truck accounted for 43 deaths, or 11.4%. That truck figure counts deaths in qualifying passenger-vehicle-involved crashes that also involved a large truck.[1][2][3][4][5]
Car accident death rate compared with California and the United States
The car accident death rate for Tulare County was 15.7 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. It was higher than California's 9.3 and the national rate of 10.5. The listed neighboring county rates were 19.4 for Kern County, 15.9 for Fresno County and 20.0 for Kings County. Tulare County's rate was lower than each of those rates.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Among the listed neighboring counties, Kings County had the highest rate and Fresno County had the lowest. Each rate divides the period's deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates and multiplies by 100,000. These population-based rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors, and the deaths are assigned by crash location.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Area | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Tulare County, California | 376 | 15.7 |
| California | 18,231 | 9.3 |
| United States | 176,219 | 10.5 |
| Kern County, California (neighbor) | 886 | 19.4 |
| Fresno County, California (neighbor) | 811 | 15.9 |
| Kings County, California (neighbor) | 153 | 20.0 |
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 Tulare County, of any vehicle type, rather than only car accidents. Shares use all traffic deaths: Speeding-related, 115 deaths (28.0%); Roadway departure, 192 (46.7%); At an intersection, 129 (31.4%); Pedestrian involved, 67 (16.3%); Motorcycle involved, 48 (11.7%); Hit-and-run, 38 (9.2%); Driver distraction reported, 18 (4.4%); and In a work zone, 4 (1.0%).[1][2][3][4][5]
A crash can have several recorded characteristics, so these rows overlap and do not add to 100%. The entries describe recorded characteristics rather than findings of fault or cause. Their percentages use a different denominator from the car accident breakdowns.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Recorded crash characteristic (all fatal crashes) | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Share of all traffic deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 115 | 28.0% |
| Roadway departure | 192 | 46.7% |
| At an intersection | 129 | 31.4% |
| Pedestrian involved | 67 | 16.3% |
| Motorcycle involved | 48 | 11.7% |
| Hit-and-run | 38 | 9.2% |
| Driver distraction reported | 18 | 4.4% |
| In a work zone | 4 | 1.0% |
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 NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and a death within 30 days. Counts use the crash's county, not the deceased person's residence. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded.[8][6][7]
The 2020 through 2023 records are Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File can change when replaced by the Final File. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. The separately displayed July 1, 2024 estimate of 483,851 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