| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 231[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 39[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 4.7[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 1,046,226[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Denton County, Texas recorded 231 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, accounting for 82.2% of its 281 traffic deaths. Those deaths occurred in 214 fatal crashes involving passenger vehicles, with an average of 46.2 deaths per year. In 2024, the county recorded 39 car accident deaths out of 50 traffic deaths, a share of 78.0%. These counts describe crashes that happened in the county, regardless of where the people who died lived.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Here, a car accident means a fatal crash involving at least one passenger car, SUV, pickup or van. Deaths include everyone killed in those crashes, across the person categories shown in the table. The statistics use NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and Census Bureau population estimates.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Denton County by year
Annual car accident deaths rose from 50 in 2020 to 53 in 2021, then fell to 43 in 2022. The count rose to 46 in 2023 before falling to 39 in 2024. The highest count was 53 in 2021, and the lowest was 39 in 2024. The 2024 count was 11 deaths lower than the 2020 count.[1][2][3][4][5]
The car accident share of all traffic deaths followed a different pattern: 84.7% in 2020, 74.6% in 2021, 89.6% in 2022, 86.8% in 2023 and 78.0% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 59, 71, 48, 53 and 50 in those respective years. The highest share was in 2022, while the lowest share was in 2021.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 50 | 59 | 84.7% |
| 2021 | 53 | 71 | 74.6% |
| 2022 | 43 | 48 | 89.6% |
| 2023 | 46 | 53 | 86.8% |
| 2024 | 39 | 50 | 78.0% |
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 Denton County car accidents
People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 141 deaths, or 61.0% of car accident deaths in Denton County during 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 42 deaths, or 18.2%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 48 deaths, or 20.8%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
These labels classify people who died in the selected passenger-vehicle-involved crashes. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) follows the FARS classification and is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
How the fatal car crashes happened
The manner of collision describes the first harmful event in a crash. Angle (side impact) accounted for 57 car accident deaths, or 24.7%; head-on for 25, or 10.8%; rear-end for 35, or 15.2%; and sideswipe for 14, or 6.1%. Other accounted for 2 deaths, or 0.9%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport accounted for 98 deaths, or 42.4%. This means the first harmful event was not 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.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Time of day and setting
Nighttime, defined as 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 125 car accident deaths, or 54.1%, during 2020 through 2024. Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 106 deaths, or 45.9%. The nighttime count was higher than the daytime count.[1][2][3][4][5]
The urban classification recorded 191 deaths, or 82.7%, while the rural classification recorded 39, or 16.9%. Unknown land use accounted for 1 death, or 0.4%. Separately, car accident deaths in crashes that also involved a large truck numbered 30, representing 13.0% of the county's car accident deaths.[1][2][3][4][5]
Car accident death rate compared with Texas and the United States
Denton County's car accident death rate was 4.7 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. The Texas rate was 12.1, and the national rate was 10.5. Denton County's rate was lower than both. Among the listed neighboring counties, rates were 11.2 for Dallas County, 8.2 for Tarrant County, 4.9 for Collin County and 16.3 for Grayson County.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Denton County's rate was lower than each listed neighbor's rate. Grayson County had the highest rate among the listed neighboring counties, and Collin County had the lowest. 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]
| Area | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Denton County, Texas | 231 | 4.7 |
| Texas | 18,234 | 12.1 |
| United States | 176,219 | 10.5 |
| Dallas County, Texas (neighbor) | 1,463 | 11.2 |
| Tarrant County, Texas (neighbor) | 892 | 8.2 |
| Collin County, Texas (neighbor) | 285 | 4.9 |
| Grayson County, Texas (neighbor) | 117 | 16.3 |
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 Denton County, of any vehicle type. Shares use all traffic deaths, rather than only car accident deaths. Speeding-related crashes accounted for 121 deaths (43.1%); roadway departure for 107 (38.1%); and at an intersection for 77 (27.4%).[1][2][3][4][5]
Pedestrian involved recorded 50 deaths (17.8%); motorcycle involved, 75 (26.7%); hit-and-run, 18 (6.4%); driver distraction reported, 22 (7.8%); and in a work zone, 21 (7.5%). These are recorded characteristics, not findings of fault or cause. A crash can carry several characteristics, so the rows overlap and do not add to 100%.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Recorded crash characteristic (all fatal crashes) | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Share of all traffic deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 121 | 43.1% |
| Roadway departure | 107 | 38.1% |
| At an intersection | 77 | 27.4% |
| Pedestrian involved | 50 | 17.8% |
| Motorcycle involved | 75 | 26.7% |
| Hit-and-run | 18 | 6.4% |
| Driver distraction reported | 22 | 7.8% |
| In a work zone | 21 | 7.5% |
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, with a death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. Counts follow crash location, not residency. 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. They express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjusting for miles driven or visitors. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate denominator.[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