Fatal crashes in Alabama
In 2024, 962 people died in 895 fatal crashes on Alabama roads, 1.2% fewer than in 2023. That is about 3 deaths a day, and 2.5% of all road deaths in the United States.
Alabama ranks 14th of 51 by road deaths in 2024, and 5th by deaths per resident. Every state in 2024.
Road deaths in Alabama since 1975
Road deaths in Alabama peaked in 2006 at 1,207; 2024's 962 is 20% below that. The lowest year was 2014 with 820. 2024 is 3% below 2000 and 7% above 1975.
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 962 | 895 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 974 | 893 | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 988 | 913 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 983 | 885 | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 934 | 852 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 930 | 856 | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 953 | 876 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 948 | 864 | -12.5% |
| 2016 | 1,083 | 979 | +27.4% |
| 2015 | 850 | 784 | +3.7% |
Show 1975 to 2014
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 820 | 747 | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 853 | 767 | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 865 | 809 | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 895 | 811 | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 862 | 792 | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 848 | 774 | -12.5% |
| 2008 | 969 | 891 | -12.7% |
| 2007 | 1,110 | 1,010 | -8.0% |
| 2006 | 1,207 | 1,073 | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 1,148 | 1,021 | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 1,154 | 1,032 | +14.9% |
| 2003 | 1,004 | 902 | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 1,038 | 931 | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 991 | 900 | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 996 | 910 | -12.5% |
| 1999 | 1,138 | 992 | +6.3% |
| 1998 | 1,071 | 958 | -10.2% |
| 1997 | 1,192 | 1,050 | +4.0% |
| 1996 | 1,146 | 1,024 | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 1,114 | 991 | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 1,083 | 953 | +3.7% |
| 1993 | 1,044 | 914 | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 1,031 | 921 | -7.6% |
| 1991 | 1,116 | 984 | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 1,121 | 983 | +8.9% |
| 1989 | 1,029 | 918 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 1,024 | 922 | -7.8% |
| 1987 | 1,111 | 976 | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 1,081 | 968 | +22.6% |
| 1985 | 882 | 777 | -5.4% |
| 1984 | 932 | 820 | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 930 | 806 | +10.8% |
| 1982 | 839 | 744 | -10.1% |
| 1981 | 933 | 825 | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 940 | 835 | -5.8% |
| 1979 | 998 | 885 | -12.6% |
| 1978 | 1,142 | 998 | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 1,081 | 947 | +9.4% |
| 1976 | 988 | 831 | +9.5% |
| 1975 | 902 | 765 | No data |
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them. 2024 is the latest year NHTSA has published; the 2024 figures are from the Annual Report File and may be revised when NHTSA releases the final file. The 2025 file is expected in spring 2027.
The deadliest roads and most dangerous highways in Alabama
I-65 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Alabama from 2015 to 2024: 432, with 491 deaths. The 20 roads listed held 24% of all fatal crashes in Alabama from 2015 to 2024; 6 are interstates, 7 US routes, 7 state highways. Interstate, US and state routes ranked by fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024; ramps and frontage roads are left out (19 crashes). Roads with 15 or more fatal crashes in 2022 to 2024 have their own page. Every numbered road in Alabama, ranked.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | Counties with the most | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-65 | 432 | 491 | 123 | Jefferson, Mobile, Chilton |
| 2 | I-59 | 259 | 285 | 76 | Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, St. Clair |
| 3 | US 431 | 122 | 133 | 62 | Marshall, Calhoun, Russell |
| 4 | US 231 | 112 | 126 | 60 | Pike, Montgomery, St. Clair |
| 5 | US 31 | 104 | 115 | 53 | Limestone, Morgan, Escambia |
| 6 | State Highway 69 | 99 | 118 | 27 | Tuscaloosa, Cullman, Walker |
| 7 | I-20 | 97 | 111 | 30 | St. Clair, Cleburne, Jefferson |
| 8 | I-85 | 97 | 109 | 33 | Montgomery, Macon, Lee |
| 9 | I-10 | 93 | 105 | 28 | Mobile, Baldwin |
| 10 | State Highway 21 | 90 | 103 | 34 | Talladega, Calhoun, Monroe |
| 11 | US 80 | 71 | 77 | 37 | Dallas, Russell, Lowndes |
| 12 | State Highway 5 | 69 | 77 | 28 | Jefferson, Walker, Bibb |
| 13 | US 72 | 68 | 76 | 31 | Limestone, Jackson, Madison |
| 14 | State Highway 75 | 68 | 72 | 22 | DeKalb, Blount, Marshall |
| 15 | State Highway 14 | 66 | 72 | 20 | Elmore, Autauga, Dallas |
| 16 | I-22 | 62 | 69 | 22 | Walker, Marion, Jefferson |
| 17 | State Highway 79 | 60 | 64 | 15 | Jefferson, Blount, Jackson |
| 18 | US 280 | 60 | 64 | 28 | Shelby, Tallapoosa, Lee |
| 19 | US 82 | 59 | 71 | 30 | Tuscaloosa, Autauga, Pickens |
| 20 | State Highway 157 | 55 | 58 | 19 | Cullman, Lawrence, Lauderdale |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Download every numbered road in Alabama as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes/alabama/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”
The deadliest counties in Alabama
Jefferson County had the most fatal crashes in Alabama from 2015 to 2024: 904, with 959 deaths. Jefferson, Mobile and Madison counties together held 23% of fatal crashes in Alabama from 2015 to 2024; the 20 listed held 63%. 67 counties in Alabama recorded a fatal crash in those years; the 20 with the most are listed, with deaths per 100,000 residents where the county had 10 or more deaths in 2024.
Per resident, Butler County has the highest rate in Alabama: 57.2 road deaths per 100,000 residents a year from 2015 to 2024, against 19.3 for the state as a whole. Counties with fewer than 10,000 residents are hatched rather than shaded: a few crashes on a highway through a small county make a rate that says more about its population than its roads.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | Deaths per 100,000100K, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | 95 | 904 | 959 | 15.2 |
| 2 | Mobile County | 66 | 691 | 758 | 17.9 |
| 3 | Madison County | 43 | 402 | 424 | 10.4 |
| 4 | Montgomery County | 41 | 366 | 391 | 18.6 |
| 5 | Tuscaloosa County | 35 | 349 | 381 | 14.5 |
| 6 | Baldwin County | 25 | 288 | 316 | 9.9 |
| 7 | Limestone County | 21 | 220 | 240 | 18.5 |
| 8 | Cullman County | 21 | 212 | 240 | 23.8 |
| 9 | Talladega County | 25 | 209 | 228 | 33.2 |
| 10 | Shelby County | 9 | 195 | 209 | 5.1 |
| 11 | Calhoun County | 23 | 195 | 208 | 20.6 |
| 12 | Lee County | 25 | 183 | 193 | 13.8 |
| 13 | Walker County | 21 | 180 | 195 | 33.7 |
| 14 | St. Clair County | 16 | 179 | 196 | 18.6 |
| 15 | Etowah County | 19 | 176 | 198 | 21.3 |
| 16 | Morgan County | 23 | 169 | 182 | 19.8 |
| 17 | Marshall County | 12 | 166 | 185 | 14.7 |
| 18 | DeKalb County | 20 | 164 | 174 | 28.7 |
| 19 | Houston County | 10 | 152 | 162 | 11.0 |
| 20 | Russell County | 8 | 149 | 164 | 17.0 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Download every county with a page as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes/alabama/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”
The deadliest counties in America: every county ranked nationally, and per resident
When fatal crashes happen in Alabama
The heaviest slot is Saturday, 8 pm to midnight, with 390 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 5 pm to 6 pm; the worst month is October.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 3.9 percent, 338 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 189 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 116 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 178 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 323 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 213 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 1.3 percent, 117 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 162 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 161 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 242 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 243 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 197 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 1.0 percent, 90 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 167 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 154 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 258 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 273 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 168 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.0 percent, 89 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 171 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 144 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 194 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 264 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 191 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.1 percent, 97 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 197 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 160 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 249 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 282 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 231 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.6 percent, 144 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 182 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 164 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 263 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 292 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 343 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.4 percent, 302 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 177 fatal crashes | 1.4 percent, 125 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 232 fatal crashes | 3.4 percent, 297 fatal crashes | 4.4 percent, 390 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan7.5%
- Feb6.9%
- Mar8.0%
- Apr7.9%
- May9.1%
- Jun8.5%
- Jul8.5%
- Aug8.5%
- Sep8.6%
- Oct9.6%
- Nov8.2%
- Dec8.7%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where fatal crashes happen in Alabama: rural or urban, intersection, dark or daylight
59% of fatal crashes in Alabama from 2015 to 2024 were on rural roads, above the US share of 43%; 18% happened at or near an intersection, below the US share of 25%; 33% in the dark on unlit roads, above the US share of 28%. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across the United States.
| Alabama | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 59% | 43% | above the US share |
| At or near an intersection | 18% | 25% | below the US share |
| In daylight | 48% | 46% | above the US share |
| In the dark, road lit | 14% | 21% | below the US share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 33% | 28% | above the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Who died on Alabama roads in 2024
Vehicle occupants were 72% of the 962 people killed on Alabama roads in 2024; pedestrians 13% (128), motorcyclists 13% (127), cyclists 1.0% (10).
| Road user | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants | 694 | 72% |
| Pedestrians | 128 | 13% |
| Motorcyclists | 127 | 13% |
| Cyclists | 10 | 1.0% |
| Others (on personal conveyances, in parked vehicles, in buildings) | 3 | 0.3% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes happen in Alabama: alcohol, speeding, seat belts, hit-and-run
A drinking driver was recorded in 25% of fatal crashes in Alabama from 2015 to 2024, about the US share; speeding in 27%, about the US share; a hit-and-run in 3.9%, below the US share of 6.5%; a driver recorded as distracted in 5.5%, below the US share of 8.7%; 58% of passenger-vehicle occupants killed with belt use known were unbelted, above the US share of 49%.
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024 with the factor recorded, against the US share. "A drinking driver" is NHTSA's drinking-driver flag (police-reported drinking or any positive alcohol test), not its "alcohol-impaired" figure. "Unbelted" is the share of passenger-vehicle occupants killed whose belt use is known (6,408 in Alabama).
| Alabama | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A drinking driver | 25% | 26% | about the same as the US share |
| Speeding | 27% | 27% | about the same as the US share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 5.5% | 8.7% | below the US share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 58% | 49% | above the US share |
| Hit-and-run | 3.9% | 6.5% | below the US share |
| A motorcycle involved | 10% | 16% | below the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What the first harmful event was
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 39%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 37%, a pedestrian in 12%, a rollover in 7.1%. What each fatal crash first hit, 2015 to 2024.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 3,442 | 39% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 3,233 | 37% |
| Pedestrian | 1,069 | 12% |
| Rollover | 627 | 7.1% |
| Other | 260 | 3.0% |
| Cyclist | 83 | 0.9% |
| Parked vehicle | 83 | 0.9% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Vehicles in fatal crashes in Alabama
Cars were 41% of the 12,957 vehicles in fatal crashes in Alabama from 2015 to 2024, pickups 21%, SUVs 18%, motorcycles 7.1%. Every vehicle in a fatal crash from 2015 to 2024, by body type.
| Type | Vehicles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cars | 5,257 | 41% |
| Pickups | 2,688 | 21% |
| SUVs | 2,381 | 18% |
| Motorcycles | 920 | 7.1% |
| Truck-tractors | 847 | 6.5% |
| Other trucks | 456 | 3.5% |
| Vans | 382 | 2.9% |
| Buses | 26 | 0.2% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Road deaths in Alabama per resident and per mile driven
| Alabama | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths per 100,000 residents, 2024 | 18.7 | 11.5 | above the US rate |
| Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015 to 2024 | 19.3 | 11.8 | above the US rate |
| Deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles, 2024 | 1.32 | 1.19 | above the US rate |
Population 5,157,699 (Census Bureau estimate, 2024); 72,904 million vehicle-miles (FHWA Highway Statistics 2024, table VM-2). The only figures on this page not counted from FARS.
Questions about fatal crashes in Alabama
- How many people died in car accidents in Alabama in 2024?
- 962 people died in 895 fatal crashes on Alabama roads in 2024, 1.2% fewer than in 2023. That is 18.7 deaths per 100,000 residents, against 11.5 across the United States. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- What is the deadliest road in Alabama?
- I-65 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Alabama from 2015 to 2024: 432, with 491 deaths. I-59 was second with 259.
- Which county in Alabama has the most fatal crashes?
- Jefferson County, with 904 fatal crashes and 959 deaths from 2015 to 2024, 95 of them in 2024.
- When do fatal crashes in Alabama happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Saturday, 8 pm to midnight, with 390 fatal crashes.
- How many fatal crashes in Alabama involved a drinking driver?
- 2,238 of 8,797 fatal crashes in Alabama from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 25%, against 26% across the United States.
County pages for Alabama
Every county in Alabama with 30 or more fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, each with its crashes by year, roads, hour and weekday, and deaths per 100,000 residents.
- Jefferson County 904
- Mobile County 691
- Madison County 402
- Montgomery County 366
- Tuscaloosa County 349
- Baldwin County 288
- Limestone County 220
- Cullman County 212
- Talladega County 209
- Calhoun County 195
- Shelby County 195
- Lee County 183
- Walker County 180
- St. Clair County 179
- Etowah County 176
- Morgan County 169
- Marshall County 166
- DeKalb County 164
- Houston County 152
- Russell County 149
- Blount County 138
- Jackson County 138
- Lauderdale County 133
- Chilton County 120
- Colbert County 120
- Dallas County 118
- Elmore County 107
- Lawrence County 98
- Autauga County 97
- Butler County 95
- Escambia County 92
- Coffee County 90
- Pike County 87
- Dale County 83
- Cherokee County 82
- Chambers County 81
- Macon County 78
- Covington County 71
- Tallapoosa County 71
- Clarke County 66
- Marion County 66
- Barbour County 63
- Winston County 63
- Franklin County 62
- Greene County 61
- Lowndes County 61
- Cleburne County 60
- Geneva County 59
- Conecuh County 55
- Marengo County 54
- Monroe County 53
- Sumter County 53
- Randolph County 51
- Bullock County 48
- Bibb County 47
- Coosa County 46
- Choctaw County 45
- Pickens County 41
- Wilcox County 38
- Fayette County 38
- Washington County 36
- Hale County 36
- Lamar County 35
- Crenshaw County 34
Road pages for Alabama
Every numbered road in Alabama with 15 or more fatal crashes from 2022 to 2024, each with its crashes by year, county, hour and weekday.
Where the Alabama numbers come from
Every figure on this page except the rates is counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the federal census of fatal crashes on US public roads, 2024 Annual Report File. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Road names are normalised ("I-35", "I 35" and "I-35/PURPLE HEART TRL" are the same road); frontage roads and ramps ("I35 FRONTAGE") are left out of road counts. Totals from the state highway department and news reports can differ by a few: they count from the state's own crash reports, often before every death within 30 days is known, while NHTSA's file is checked and revised once a year. Fields NHTSA coded as unknown show as "Not reported"; a share is only given over 20 crashes, otherwise "Not enough data". Rates per resident and per mile use Census Bureau population estimates and FHWA vehicle-miles, the only figures not counted from FARS. The full method.