| Data years | 2020-2024[1][2][3][4][5] |
|---|---|
| Deaths in car accidents, 2020-2024 | 1,245[1][2][3][4][5] |
| Deaths in car accidents, 2024 | 225[5] |
| Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents | 7.3[1][2][3][4][5][6] |
| Population, July 1, 2024 (estimate) | 3,502,983[6] |
| 2024 data file | FARS Annual Report File[5] |
Utah recorded 1,245 car accident deaths from 2020 through 2024, accounting for 83.9% of the state's 1,484 traffic deaths during that period. In 2024, the car accident death count was 225, representing 81.2% of 277 traffic deaths. These figures count deaths in crashes that happened in Utah, regardless of where the people who died lived. The fatal crashes included in the period numbered 1,116.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
For this page, a fatal crash involving at least one passenger car, SUV, pickup or van is defined as a car accident. Everyone killed in those crashes is included in the death count under the categories People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans, People in other vehicles, and Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping). NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System and Census Bureau population estimates provide the data for the statistics.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Contents
Car accident deaths in Utah by year
Car accident deaths rose from 235 in 2020 to 286 in 2021, then fell to 267 in 2022, 232 in 2023 and 225 in 2024. The highest count was in 2021, and the lowest was in 2024. The 2024 count was 10 deaths lower than the 2020 count. The share of Utah traffic deaths counted in car accidents was 85.1% in 2020 and 81.2% in 2024.[1][2][3][4][5]
Across 2020 through 2024, Utah accounted for 0.7% of the national total of 176,219 car accident deaths. Its yearly share was 0.7% in 2020, 0.8% in 2021, and 0.7% in 2022, 2023 and 2024. The 2024 figures remain subject to revision.[1][2][3][4][5]
| Year | Deaths in car accidents | All traffic deaths | Share in car accidents | Share of U.S. total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 235 | 276 | 85.1% | 0.7% |
| 2021 | 286 | 332 | 86.1% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | 267 | 319 | 83.7% | 0.7% |
| 2023 | 232 | 280 | 82.9% | 0.7% |
| 2024 | 225 | 277 | 81.2% | 0.7% |
2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.
Who died in Utah car accidents
People in cars, SUVs, pickups or vans accounted for 886 deaths, or 71.2%, in Utah's qualifying crashes from 2020 through 2024. This was the largest person category. People in other vehicles accounted for 138 deaths, or 11.1%, the smallest category. Nonoccupants (FARS person-type grouping) accounted for 221 deaths, or 17.8%.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
These categories describe the people killed in the selected car accident crashes, rather than separate sets of crashes. Each category includes deaths in fatal crashes involving a passenger car, SUV, pickup or van. The nonoccupant label follows the FARS person-type grouping rather than a literal test of position outside a vehicle.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Collision types and setting
Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Angle (side impact) recorded 287 deaths; Head-on, 193; Rear-end, 87; Sideswipe, 51; Other, 7; and Unknown, 1. Not a collision with a motor vehicle in transport recorded 619 deaths. That row means the first harmful event was not a collision between motor vehicles in transport, such as a rollover or striking a fixed object. Vehicles in transport can be stopped in traffic.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Daytime accounted for 656 car accident deaths (52.7%), nighttime for 585 (47.0%), and unknown time for 4 (0.3%). Urban locations recorded 769 deaths (61.8%); rural locations recorded 476 (38.2%).[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Counties with the most car accident deaths
Salt Lake County recorded the most car accident deaths, with 333, followed by Utah County with 161 and Weber County with 105. Washington County recorded 77 deaths; Davis County, 64; Tooele County, 54; Box Elder County, 46; and Cache County, 41. The remaining listed counts were Millard County, 35; Iron County, 34; Wasatch County, 32; San Juan County, 28; Grand County, 26; Carbon County, 23; and Uintah County, 23.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Death counts and population-based rates give different comparisons. Among the listed counties, Grand County had the highest average annual deaths per 100,000 residents at 53.4, while Davis County had the lowest at 3.5. Salt Lake County's rate was 5.6. These rate rankings apply only to the listed counties.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| County | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual deaths per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake County | 333 | 5.6 |
| Utah County | 161 | 4.6 |
| Weber County | 105 | 7.8 |
| Washington County | 77 | 7.8 |
| Davis County | 64 | 3.5 |
| Tooele County | 54 | 13.6 |
| Box Elder County | 46 | 15.0 |
| Cache County | 41 | 5.9 |
| Millard County | 35 | 52.1 |
| Iron County | 34 | 10.9 |
| Wasatch County | 32 | 17.5 |
| San Juan County | 28 | 38.8 |
| Grand County | 26 | 53.4 |
| Carbon County | 23 | 22.4 |
| Uintah County | 23 | 12.4 |
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 Utah compares with the national rate
Utah's car accident death rate was 7.3, compared with the national rate of 10.5. Both figures measure average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Utah's rate was lower than the national rate. The corresponding death counts were 1,245 for Utah and 176,219 for the United States.[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. Utah's separately reported July 1, 2024 population estimate of 3,502,983 is not the denominator. When reading these figures during a search for a car accident lawyer, keep the crash-location counts distinct from the population-based rates.[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 death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county counts follow crash location, not the residence of those killed.[8][6][7]
The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates use summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, expressing average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustments for miles driven or visitors. The separate July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the rate 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