2024 SafeTREC Traffic Safety Facts: Speeding-Related and Other Crashes

Introduction 

A speeding-related crash is defined as one in which a driver is racing, driving too fast for the conditions, or driving in excess of the posted speed limit. Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects, reduces the amount of time a driver has to react to a dangerous situation, and extends safe stopping distances.  

Designing streets to limit the impact of speeding-related crashes and protecting people even when they make unsafe decisions are part of the Safe Roads and Safe Road Users elements of the United States Department of Transportation’s Safe System Approach. It also includes eliminating speeding and other unsafe behavior through enforcement.

Breakdown of Speeding-Related Fatalities Nationwide and in California in 2022

Break-down of speeding versus non-speeding related fatalities nationwide and in California in 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data sources: i) National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2024, June, Revised). Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022. DOT HS 813 560. NHTSA. Table 6, page 8;  ii) State Traffic Safety Information (STSI). Traffic Safety Performance (Core Outcome) Measures for California. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, C1 - C6 

Summary 

  • In 2022, 29 percent (or 12498) of all motor vehicle fatalities nationwide were speeding-related. 

  • In 2022, 32 percent (or 1403) of all motor vehicle fatalities in California were speeding-related.

Speeding-Related Fatality Trends Nationwide and in California from 2018 to 2022

Trend-line chart detailing speeding-related fatalities nationally and in California from 2018 to 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2018 – 2021 Final File & 2022 ARF

Summary 

  • Nationally, 12151 people were killed in speeding-related crashes in 2022.

  • In California, there were 1403 people killed in speeding-related traffic crashes in 2022.

  •  Speeding-related fatalities decreased nationally by 2.8  percent between 2021 and 2022.

  • Speeding-related fatalities decreased in California 11.8 percent between 2021 and 2022.

Nationwide Summary

Breakdown of Speeding versus Non-Speeding Drivers by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Nationally in 2022

National comparison of speeding versus non-speeding drivers in 2021 with regards to blood alcohol content levels and seat belt restraint use. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data sources: National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2024, June, Revised). Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022. DOT HS 813 560. NHTSA. Figure 4, page 8

Summary

  • In 2022, 41 percent of speeding drivers in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 percent or above, compared to 19 percent non-speeding drivers who had a BAC of 0.08 percent or above.

  • In 2022, 45 percent of speeding drivers in fatal crashes were unrestrained compared to 20 percent of non-speeding drivers.

California Summary 

The information in this section refers to all victims including drivers, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, fatally or seriously injured (FSI) in a speeding-related crash in California in 2022.

Speeding-Related Fatalities and Serious Injuries by County in 2022

Top 5 Counties in California by Fatalities

RankingCountiesFatalities
1Los Angeles322
2San Bernardino167
3Riverside97
4Orange93
5San Diego87

Top 5 Counties in California by Fatalities Per 100k Population

RankingCountyFatalities Per 100k Population
1Alpine168.1
2Trinity12.5
3Modoc11.7
4Siskiyou9.2
5Madera8.9

Top 5 Counties in California by Serious Injuries

RankingCountySerious Injuries
1Los Angeles1198
2San Diego329
3San Bernardino326
4Riverside266
5Orange258

Top 5 Counties in California by Serious Injuries Per 100k Population

RankingCountySerious Injuries Per 100k Population
1Alpine420.2
2Sierra156.0
3Inyo58.5
4Lassen46.2
5Plumas43.8

Data sources: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2022; ii) Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2022 iii) State of California, Department of Finance, E-4 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2021-2024, with 2020 Census Benchmark. Sacramento, California, May 2024.

Primary Crash Factors and Crash Types for Speeding-Related Fatal and Serious Injury (FSI) Crashes

Speeding-related crashes are defined as crashes where speed was a primary or contributing factor. Therefore the majority of speeding-related crashes will have unsafe speed as a primary crash factor but some may have a different primary crash factor listed.

Top Five Primary Crash Factors of Speeding-Related Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes in California (2022)

Bar chart detailing the top five most common primary crash factors in speeding-related fatal and serious injury crashes in California in 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Note: For more information on the different Crash Types, please see the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) Help FAQ page, in the Codebook - Crash Level Section

Data source: Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2022

Summary 

  • Unsafe speed was the most common primary crash factor in speeding-related FSI crashes in 2022 making up 73.5 percent, followed by driving or bicycling under the influence of alcohol or drugs (14.5 percent) and improper turning (4.3 percent.) 

  • Traffic signals and signs followed by automobile right of way made up the fourth and fifth most common primary crash factor in speeding-related FSI crashes in 2022 accounting for 1.9  and 1.7 percent respectively. 

Crash Location of Speeding-Related Fatal Crashes 

Crash Location of Speeding-Related Fatal Crashes in California in 2022

Infographic detailing the breakdown of speeding-related fatal crashes by location in California in 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Note: Urban and Rural areas are defined in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) based on the boundaries decided by the US Census Bureau which considers population and housing density. 

Data source: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2022; ii) California Public Road Data 2020. pp. 15-17, Table 4 2020 HPMS.

https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innovation-system-information/documents/california-public-road-data/prd-2020-a11y.pdf

Summary

  • Urban crashes accounted for three quarters (78 percent) of all speeding-related fatal crashes in 2022, compared to the 22 percent that occurred on rural roads. For comparison, 18.5 percent of travel in 2020 occurred on rural roads. 

  • Principal arterials were the most common location for speeding-related fatal crashes in 2022 accounting for 27 percent. 

  • Minor arterials, followed by interstates made up the second and third most common crash locations in speeding-related fatal crashes in 2022 accounting for 22 and 16 percent respectively. 

  • The fourth most common crash location was major collectors which made up 13 percent of speeding-related fatal crashes in 2022. 

  • Other Freeways and Expressways, Local streets, and Minor Collectors constitute the remaining 22 percent. 

Victim Demographics for Speeding-Related Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes

Gender, Age and Race in Victims in Fatal and Serious Injury Speeding-Related Crashes in California in 2022

Infographic detailing the gender, age and race of victims in fatal and serious injury speeding-related crashes in California in 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data sources: i) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2022; ii) Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2022

Summary

  • Male victims made up 75 percent of all fatally injured victims in 2023, while also making up 69 percent of all seriously injured victims in speeding-related crashes.

  • Male victims aged 15-34 were the most represented group in speeding-related crashes in 2022, making up 35.5 percent of fatalities and 34.1 of serious injuries in speeding-related crashes. 

  • Race was reported in only 36.8 percent of speeding-related fatalities in 2022.

  • Of the 517 fatalities in speeding-related crashes with a known race in 2022, 79 percent were white.

Top Five Crash Types of Speeding-Related Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes in California (2022)

Bar chart detailing the top five most common crash types in speeding-related fatal and serious injury crashes in California in 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Note: For more information on the different Crash Types, please see the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) Help FAQ page, in the Codebook - Crash Level Section

Data source: Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2022

Summary

  • Rear end crashes were the most common type of speeding-related FSI crashes in 2022 making up 36.0 percent, followed by hit object (22.1 percent) and overturned crashes (11.0 percent.)

  • Broadside crashes followed by vehicle/pedestrian crashes made up the fourth and fifth most common type of speeding-related FSI crashes in 2022 accounting for 10.1 and 6.0 percent respectively. 

Time and Day of Speeding-Related Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes

Time and Day of Speeding-Related Fatal Crashes in California in 2022

Infographic detailing the most common day and time of day in fatal speeding-related crashes in California in 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2022

Summary

  • The peak period of all speeding-related fatal crashes in 2022 was between Saturday at midnight and 3 am on Sunday.

  • 35.2 percent of all speeding-related fatal crashes in 2022 occurred between 9pm and 3 am. 

Time and Day of Speeding-Related Serious Injury Crashes in California in 2022

Infographic detailing the most common day and time of day in serious injury speeding-related crashes in California in 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data source: Provisional Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) 2022

Summary

  • The peak period of all speeding-related serious injury crashes in 2022 was between 3pm and 6pm on Friday.

  • 18.3 percent of all speeding-related serious injury crashes in 2022 occurred between 3pm and 6pm. 

Time and Day of Speeding-Related Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes in California in 2022

Infographic detailing the most common day and time of day in fatal speeding-related crashes in California in 2022. For more information, go to the following summary.

Data source: Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) ARF 2022

Summary

  • 40 percent of all fatal speeding-related crashes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in 2022.

References

  1. State Traffic Safety Information (STSI) Traffic Safety Performance (Core Outcome) Measures for California. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://cdan.dot.gov/stsi.htm#. Accessed on 8/30/2024.

  2. National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2024, June, Revised). Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022. DOT HS 813 560. NHTSA.

  3. Federal Highway Administration. (2023, August 4). Zero deaths and safe system. Zero Deaths and Safe System | FHWA. https://highways.dot.gov/safety/zero-deaths 

  4. State of California, Department of Finance, E-4 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2021-2024, with 2020 Census Benchmark. Sacramento, California, May 2024.

  5. California Department of Transportation. (2021, December). California Public Road Data 2020.

Data definitions expressed as queries are available in the data dictionary on google sheets. 

This report was prepared in cooperation with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of OTS.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.