Idaho car accident statistics (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in Idaho by year

The annual car accident death count rose from 188 in 2020 to 216 in 2021, then fell to 188 in 2022. It rose to 228 in 2023 before falling to 191 in 2024. The highest count was in 2023; 2020 and 2022 shared the lowest count. The 2024 count was 3 deaths higher than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Idaho's share of the national car accident death total was 0.6% in 2020, 0.6% in 2021, 0.5% in 2022, 0.6% in 2023 and 0.6% in 2024. For the full period, Idaho accounted for 0.6% of the national total of 176,219 deaths. The 2024 figures remain subject to revision.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.

Who died in Idaho car accidents

People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 834 deaths, or 82.5% of Idaho's car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 75 deaths, or 7.4%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 102 deaths, or 10.1%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Each category counts deaths in fatal crashes involving a passenger vehicle. The categories describe the people killed, while inclusion in the dataset depends on the vehicles involved in the crash. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) is a classification that can include occupants of parked motor vehicles.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Collision types and setting

By manner of collision, car accident deaths included Angle (side impact): 192; Head-on: 225; Rear-end: 43; Sideswipe: 49; Other: 4; and Unknown: 1. Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 497 deaths. This describes the first harmful event, such as striking a fixed object or a rollover, rather than a collision between motor vehicles in transport. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime accounted for 559 deaths (55.3%) and nighttime for 442 (43.7%); time was unknown for 10 (1.0%). Urban locations recorded 276 deaths (27.3%), rural locations 734 (72.6%), and unknown land use 1 (0.1%).^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most car accident deaths

The counties listed with the most car accident deaths begin with Canyon County at 111, Ada County at 106, Bonneville County at 79, Kootenai County at 58 and Twin Falls County at 49. Bingham County recorded 46 deaths, Elmore County 37 and Bannock County 36. Bonner County, Cassia County and Jerome County each recorded 35. Nez Perce County recorded 30, Payette County 29, Idaho County 28 and Gooding County 25.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Death counts and population-based rates describe different measures. Among the listed counties, Idaho County had the highest average annual deaths per 100,000 residents at 32.2, while Ada County had the lowest at 4.1. Canyon County's rate was 8.8. These rows group deaths by crash county, regardless of where the people killed lived.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.

How Idaho compares with the national rate

Idaho's car accident death rate was 10.5, matching the national rate of 10.5 for 2020 through 2024. Both figures measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents. The corresponding death counts were 1,011 for Idaho and 176,219 for the United States; the equal displayed rates do not mean the death counts were equal.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The calculation divides deaths during the period by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates, then multiplies by 100,000. It does not adjust for miles driven or visitors. Idaho's July 1, 2024 population estimate of 2,000,872 is shown separately and is not the denominator used for this rate.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

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 an occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county counts follow crash location, not residence.^[8][6][7]

The 2020 through 2023 records are Final Files; 2024 uses the Annual Report File, subject to revision. Rates use summed annual Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025, rather than the separate July 1, 2024 estimate, without adjusting for miles driven or visitors. Readers searching for a car accident lawyer should read these counts as deaths grouped by crash location.^[8][6][7]

See also

• FARS Annual Report File and Final File