Car accident statistics for New Castle County, Delaware (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in New Castle County by year

Car accident deaths rose from 54 in 2020 to 61 in 2021, then reached 72 in 2022. The count fell to 55 in 2023 and remained at 55 in 2024. The highest year was 2022, and the lowest was 2020. Comparing the endpoints, the 2024 count was 1 death higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

All traffic deaths numbered 62 in 2020, 70 in 2021, 84 in 2022, 59 in 2023 and 61 in 2024. The share attributed to the selected crashes was 87.1% in both 2020 and 2021, 85.7% in 2022, 93.2% in 2023 and 90.2% in 2024. The highest annual death count and highest annual share occurred in different years.^{[1][2][3][4][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 New Castle County car accidents

People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 167 deaths, or 56.2% of car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 45 deaths, or 15.2%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 85 deaths, or 28.6%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Each category counts deaths assigned to that person category in crashes involving at least one passenger vehicle. The labels follow the FARS grouping rather than a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle. They describe people killed in crashes located in the county, regardless of where those people lived.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Angle (side impact) accounted for 81 deaths, or 27.3%; Head-on for 40, or 13.5%; Rear-end for 28, or 9.4%; and Sideswipe for 6, or 2.0%. These car accident deaths are classified by the crash's first harmful event.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 142 deaths, or 47.8%. 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

Nighttime, defined as 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 187 car accident deaths, or 63.0%, during 2020 through 2024. Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 110 deaths, or 37.0%. Nighttime had the larger death count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The land-use classification recorded 264 deaths in urban locations, or 88.9%, and 32 in rural locations, or 10.8%. Unknown land use accounted for 1 death, or 0.3%. Separately, crashes that also involved a large truck accounted for 28 deaths, or 9.4%. That truck figure counts deaths in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes, rather than a count of trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with Delaware and the United States

New Castle County's car accident death rate was 10.3 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Delaware's rate was 12.0, and the national rate was 10.5. The county rate was lower than both.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, rates were 11.5 in Gloucester County, New Jersey; 4.9 in Chester County, Pennsylvania; 13.9 in Kent County, Delaware; and 4.4 in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Kent County had the highest rate among the listed neighboring counties, and Delaware County had the lowest. These rates use deaths divided by the sum of annual Census population estimates, multiplied by 100,000. They do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

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 the county, of any vehicle type. Shares use all traffic deaths: Speeding-related, 106 deaths (31.5%); Roadway departure, 109 (32.4%); At an intersection, 117 (34.8%); Pedestrian involved, 95 (28.3%); Motorcycle involved, 64 (19.0%); Hit-and-run, 25 (7.4%); Driver distraction reported, 13 (3.9%); and In a work zone, 9 (2.7%).^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

These figures are not restricted to the car accident selection used elsewhere in the tables. A crash can have several recorded characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%. The characteristics are not findings of fault or cause.^{[1][2][3][4][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, requiring a death within 30 days. It excludes nonfatal crashes and injuries. Counts use 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 separately shown July 1, 2024 estimate is not the denominator. The resulting average annual deaths per 100,000 residents do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for Gloucester County, New Jersey (2020-2024)
• Delaware car accident statistics (2020-2024)