Which month has the most fatal car accidents?
October. From 2015 to 2024, 36,268 people died in 33,505 fatal crashes on US roads in October, more than in any other month, and 26,090 in February, the fewest. Per day, September is a shade higher: 117.8 deaths a day against 117.0.
Every month, every year and every state's worst month, counted from NHTSA's record of every fatal crash.
Fatal car accidents by month, 2015 to 2024
Road deaths climb from January, the lowest month at 91.0 a day, to a peak from August to October, and fall away from November. September has 29% more deaths a day than January.
| Month | Deaths (total) | Fatal crashes (total) | Deaths a day (average) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28,199 | 26,045 | 91.0 |
| February | 26,090 | 23,952 | 92.2 |
| March | 29,413 | 26,983 | 94.9 |
| April | 29,844 | 27,488 | 99.5 |
| May | 33,543 | 30,793 | 108.2 |
| June | 34,272 | 31,442 | 114.2 |
| July | 35,400 | 32,514 | 114.2 |
| August | 35,637 | 32,904 | 115.0 |
| September | 35,326 | 32,712 | 117.8 |
| October | 36,268 | 33,505 | 117.0 |
| November | 32,852 | 30,332 | 109.5 |
| December | 32,346 | 29,790 | 104.3 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest month of each year
October was the deadliest month in six of the ten years, every year since 2021; August in three, July in one. The least deadly was February in eight of them, January in one, April in one.
| Year | Deadliest month | Deaths | Least deadly | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | October | 3,620 | February | 2,710 |
| 2023 | October | 3,811 | February | 2,861 |
| 2022 | October | 4,003 | February | 2,996 |
| 2021 | October | 4,126 | February | 2,575 |
| 2020 | August | 3,816 | April | 2,322 |
| 2019 | August | 3,359 | February | 2,393 |
| 2018 | October | 3,397 | February | 2,516 |
| 2017 | July | 3,528 | February | 2,528 |
| 2016 | October | 3,576 | January | 2,549 |
| 2015 | August | 3,354 | February | 2,168 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Are the 100 deadliest days of summer the deadliest of the year?
AAA uses the phrase for teenage drivers between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For all road deaths it holds only partly. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, 114.7 people died on US roads a day, 15% more than from November to May (99.9). The weeks after Labor Day are deadlier still: 116.5 a day to October 31. Of the 100 dates with the most road deaths on average, 42 fall in June, July or August and 43 in September or October. What summer does change is who dies: motorcyclists are 20% of the dead, against 11% from November to May. The share under 21 barely moves.
| Days | Deaths a day (average) | Under 21 (share) | Motorcyclists (share) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Day to Labor Day | 114.7 | 12% | 20% |
| After Labor Day to October 31 | 116.5 | 11% | 16% |
| November 1 to the day before Memorial Day | 99.9 | 11% | 11% |
Under 21 is a share of the dead whose age is known. Summer runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, both days counted, in each year. Every date of the year is on its own page.
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest month in every state, 2015 to 2024
August has the most fatal crashes in 16 of 51 states and DC. States are listed A to Z, not ranked: the worst month's share rises as a state's count falls, so a ranking would only list the smallest states.
| State | Worst month | Share of the state's fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | October | 9.6% |
| Alaska | July | 12% |
| Arizona | October | 9.1% |
| Arkansas | August | 9.6% |
| California | October | 9.2% |
| Colorado | July | 11% |
| Connecticut | June | 9.9% |
| Delaware | September | 11% |
| District of Columbia | June | 12% |
| Florida | December | 9.5% |
| Georgia | October | 9.4% |
| Hawaii | January | 9.8% |
| Idaho | July | 12% |
| Illinois | July | 9.8% |
| Indiana | October | 9.8% |
| Iowa | August | 12% |
| Kansas | September | 9.8% |
| Kentucky | August | 10% |
| Louisiana | October | 9.5% |
| Maine | August | 12% |
| Maryland | August | 10% |
| Massachusetts | August | 9.8% |
| Michigan | August | 11% |
| Minnesota | September | 11% |
| Mississippi | October | 9.9% |
| Missouri | August | 9.9% |
| Montana | July | 14% |
| Nebraska | September | 11% |
| Nevada | September | 9.5% |
| New Hampshire | July | 12% |
| New Jersey | October | 10% |
| New Mexico | September | 9.4% |
| New York | August | 11% |
| North Carolina | October | 9.2% |
| North Dakota | July | 13% |
| Ohio | August | 11% |
| Oklahoma | September | 9.4% |
| Oregon | July | 11% |
| Pennsylvania | October | 9.9% |
| Rhode Island | July | 11% |
| South Carolina | October | 9.8% |
| South Dakota | August | 15% |
| Tennessee | September | 9.4% |
| Texas | October | 9.3% |
| Utah | July | 11% |
| Vermont | August | 12% |
| Virginia | October | 9.7% |
| Washington | August | 11% |
| West Virginia | August | 11% |
| Wisconsin | August | 11% |
| Wyoming | August | 14% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Download the deadliest month by state table as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/deadliest-month-by-state/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”
Questions about fatal car accidents by month
- Which month has the most fatal car accidents?
- October. From 2015 to 2024, 36,268 people died in 33,505 fatal crashes on US roads in October, more than in any other month. Per day, September is a shade higher, 117.8 deaths a day against 117.0, because it has a day fewer. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Which month has the fewest fatal car accidents?
- February, with 26,090 deaths from 2015 to 2024. It is also the shortest month; per day, January is the lowest, 91.0 deaths a day against 117.8 in September.
- Is October the deadliest month every year?
- October was the deadliest month in six of the ten years from 2015 to 2024, every year since 2021. August in three, July in one.
- Are the 100 deadliest days of summer the deadliest days of the year?
- For all road deaths, only partly. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, 114.7 people died on US roads a day, 15% more than from November to May (99.9). The weeks after Labor Day are deadlier still: 116.5 a day to October 31. Of the 100 dates with the most road deaths on average, 42 fall in June, July or August and 43 in September or October. People under 21 are 12% of the dead in summer against 11% the rest of the year; motorcyclists 20% against 11%.
- Which month is deadliest in most states?
- August: it has the most fatal crashes in 16 of 51 states and DC from 2015 to 2024.
How the months are counted
Every fatal crash NHTSA recorded from 2015 to 2024, by the month of the crash; deaths within 30 days of the crash count in the month of the crash. Deaths a day divide a month's deaths by its days over the ten years, so 31-day months don't win on length alone. A state's worst month counts its fatal crashes, pooled over the ten years, as the state pages do. The 100 deadliest dates are plain averages of each date over the ten years, as on the calendar page. The full method.