Crash Fatalities Down 2% in U.S.
Motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. dipped slightly from 40,231 in 2017 to 39,404 in 2018.

Despite some progress, motor vehicle crashes remain the second leading cause of accidental deaths in 2018.
Photo via Pixabay.
Motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. dipped slightly from 40,231 in 2017 to 39,404 in 2018, representing a roughly 2% year-over-year decline, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite some progress, motor vehicle crashes remain the second leading cause of accidental deaths in 2018, surpassed only by poisoning which includes drug overdoses and accounted for a total of 62,399 lost lives.
The data is part of a larger report on accidental deaths that explores the number of fatalities from drug overdoses, motor vehicle collisions, falls, drowning, choking, and other preventable occurrences.
The National Safety Council says any decline in preventable deaths is promising, but the only acceptable number is zero.
More Safety

The Safest Fleets Aren’t the Ones with the Most Technology
You’ve made the telematics investment. Here’s how to capture the other half of its value and build the safest fleet on the road.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
NETS Sets 2026 Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference for Indianapolis
The Sept. 15–17 program will feature fleet benchmarking data, case studies, emerging technologies, and implementation strategies while running alongside the NSC Safety Congress & Expo.
Read More →
Off-the-Job Crashes Account for 43% of Employers’ $61.7 Billion Crash Burden
NETS quantifies costs dispersed across fleet, risk, HR, and other departments while providing new per-crash benchmarks for employers.
Read More →
Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue
The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.
Read More →How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%
Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.
Read More →
Operation Safe Driver Week: Why the Industry's Oldest Safety Campaign Still Matters to Fleets
A look at how a 2007 enforcement initiative became one of the most consequential weeks on the fleet safety calendar, and what it means for your drivers in 2026.
Read More →
Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset
Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.
Read More →From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets
From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.
Read More →
IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?
Read More →
