Car accident statistics for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (2020-2024)

Car accident deaths in Mecklenburg County by year

Car accident deaths in Mecklenburg County moved across the five years shown in the table: 94 in 2020, 104 in 2021, 97 in 2022, 85 in 2023 and 110 in 2024. The highest year was 2024 with 110 deaths, and the lowest year was 2023 with 85 deaths. Between 2020 and 2024, car accident deaths were 16 deaths higher, going from 94 to 110. All traffic deaths followed a similar pattern, reaching 121 in 2024 and dropping to 97 in 2023, their highest and lowest points over the period.^{[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 Mecklenburg County car accidents

Among the 490 car accident deaths recorded in Mecklenburg County from 2020 through 2024, People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 299 deaths, a 61.0% share and the majority of the total. People in other vehicles made up 60 deaths, or 12.2%. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) totaled 131 deaths, representing 26.7% of the figure.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

How the fatal car crashes happened

Of the 490 car accident deaths recorded between 2020 and 2024, 261 deaths, or 53.3%, fall under Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport, meaning the crash's 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. By manner of collision, Angle (side impact) crashes recorded 96 deaths (19.6% of car accident deaths), Rear-end crashes 59 deaths (12.0%), Head-on crashes 55 deaths (11.2%), Sideswipe crashes 18 deaths (3.7%) and Other 1 death (0.2%).^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Time of day and setting

Nighttime hours (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) accounted for 322 car accident deaths, or 65.7%, in Mecklenburg County from 2020 through 2024, while Daytime hours (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) accounted for 168 deaths, or 34.3%. Urban land use recorded 476 deaths (97.1%), Rural land use recorded 13 deaths (2.7%) and Unknown land use recorded 1 death (0.2%). Car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck totaled 39, an 8.0% share of the county's car accident deaths.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Car accident death rate compared with North Carolina and the United States

Mecklenburg County's average annual car accident death rate was 8.5 per 100,000 residents from 2020 through 2024. This rate is lower than the North Carolina rate of 13.4 and lower than the national rate of 10.5. Among the listed neighboring counties, York County, South Carolina recorded a rate of 10.4, Cabarrus County, North Carolina recorded 10.2 and Gaston County, North Carolina recorded 10.1, and Mecklenburg County's rate of 8.5 is lower than each of these three listed neighboring counties. 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]}

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 Mecklenburg County of any vehicle type, recorded characteristics as shares of all traffic deaths from 2020 through 2024 include Speeding-related at 41.7% (232 deaths), Roadway departure at 34.7% (193 deaths), Pedestrian involved at 26.6% (148 deaths) and At an intersection at 26.1% (145 deaths). Motorcycle involved crashes carried a 14.2% share (79 deaths), Hit-and-run crashes 11.3% (63 deaths), Driver distraction reported 3.6% (20 deaths) and In a work zone 2.9% (16 deaths). A single crash can carry several of these characteristics, so the shares overlap and do not add to 100%.^{[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

These figures come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public where a death occurs within 30 days of the crash; FARS covers fatal crashes only, so nonfatal crashes and injuries are not part of this page. Counts are grouped by the county where the crash happened rather than by where the people killed lived. Data for 2020 through 2023 come from FARS Final Files, while the 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA issues the Final File. Rates divide the 2020 through 2024 deaths by the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates for those years, multiplied by 100,000.^[8][6][7]

See also

• Car accident statistics for York County, South Carolina (2020-2024)
• North Carolina car accident statistics (2020-2024)