| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 254[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 45[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 4.6[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 1,110,415[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Rhode Island car accident statistics record 254 deaths from 2020 through 2024, representing 83.3% of the state's 305 traffic deaths during that period. In 2024, car accident deaths numbered 45, accounting for 86.5% of 52 traffic deaths. These figures count deaths according to where the crash occurred, 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, including people in other vehicles and Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping). The crash records come from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, while Census Bureau population estimates provide the population figures used to calculate the average annual death rates.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Rhode Island by year
Annual car accident deaths fell from 57 in 2020 to 54 in 2021 and 41 in 2022. The count then rose to 57 in 2023 before falling to 45 in 2024. The highest count was shared by 2020 and 2023, while 2022 had the lowest count. The 2024 count was 12 deaths lower than the 2020 count.[1][2][3][4][5]
Rhode Island accounted for 0.1% of the national total of 176,219 car accident deaths during 2020 through 2024. Its annual share of the U.S. total was 0.2% in 2020, 0.1% in 2021, 0.1% in 2022, 0.2% in 2023 and 0.1% in 2024. These national shares describe deaths in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents | Share of U.S. total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 57 | 67 | 85.1% | 0.2% |
| 2021 | 54 | 63 | 85.7% | 0.1% |
| 2022 | 41 | 52 | 78.8% | 0.1% |
| 2023 | 57 | 71 | 80.3% | 0.2% |
| 2024 | 45 | 52 | 86.5% | 0.1% |
2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.
Who died in Rhode Island car accidents
People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 173 deaths, or 68.1% of car accident deaths in Rhode Island from 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 23 deaths, or 9.1%, making it the smallest category.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 58 deaths, or 22.8%. These labels classify the people killed in the selected crashes. For readers searching for a car accident lawyer, keep the grouping in view: the counts include every person category in qualifying crashes.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Collision types and setting
By manner of collision, car accident deaths were: Angle (side impact), 30; Head-on, 39; Rear-end, 14; Sideswipe, 5; Other, 2; and Unknown, 1. Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 163 deaths (64.2%). That label means the first harmful event was not between motor vehicles in transport; examples include striking a parked vehicle or a rollover. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Daytime accounted for 121 deaths (47.6%); nighttime accounted for 133 (52.4%). Urban locations recorded 201 deaths (79.1%), rural locations recorded 48 (18.9%), and unknown land use accounted for 5 (2.0%). These figures describe deaths, rather than numbers of crashes.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Counties with the most car accident deaths
Providence County had the most car accident deaths in the county table, with 157 during 2020 through 2024. Washington County followed with 50, then Kent County with 32, Newport County with 11 and Bristol County with 4. Each count assigns deaths to the county where the crash happened.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The average annual deaths per 100,000 residents were 4.7 in Providence County, 7.7 in Washington County, 3.7 in Kent County, 2.6 in Newport County and 1.6 in Bristol County. Washington County had the highest rate among the listed counties; Bristol County had the lowest rate among the listed counties. County rates with few deaths can change sharply with each death.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| County | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Providence County | 157 | 4.7 |
| Washington County | 50 | 7.7 |
| Kent County | 32 | 3.7 |
| Newport County | 11 | 2.6 |
| Bristol County | 4 | 1.6 |
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 Rhode Island compares with the national rate
Rhode Island's car accident death rate was 4.6, compared with the national rate of 10.5. Both figures measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. The state rate was lower than the national rate. The corresponding death counts were 254 for Rhode Island and 176,219 for the United States.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The calculation uses deaths during the period and the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates for those years. It does not adjust for miles driven or visitors. Rhode Island's separately reported July 1, 2024 population estimate of 1,110,415 is not the denominator used for this rate. The rate assigns deaths by crash location, not residency.[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 a vehicle occupant or nonoccupant dying within 30 days. State and county counts use crash location, 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 remains subject to revision when the Final File replaces it. Rates divide period deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. They measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustments for miles driven or visitors; the separately displayed population estimate is not their denominator.[8][6][7]
See also
References
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2020 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2021 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2022 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrst "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2023 national data files (Final File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv "Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024 national data files (Annual Report File)". National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Official source. Checked . Source record
- abcdefghijkl "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