NHTSA: Traffic Fatalities in First Half Saw Biggest Drop Since 2008

Motor vehicle traffic deaths in the first half of 2025 are projected to fall 8.2%, the largest first-half reduction since 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA on Tuesday released early estimates that show 17,140 people died in U.S. motor vehicle crashes from January through June, down from 18,680 fatalities during the same period in 2024.

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The decline in fatalities comes as vehicle miles traveled rose by 12.1 billion miles during the first half of 2025. The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled dropped to 1.06, down 8.6% from 1.16 in the same period last year. That was the lowest mid-year fatality rate since 2014, according to NHTSA.

Additionally, 38 states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, are projected to see drops in traffic deaths. Eleven states are projected to see increases, according to the administration.

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States with the biggest drops include Connecticut (32.5%), Delaware (26.6%), Mississippi (25.7%), Maryland (23.5%) and Kentucky (21.8%). Hawaii (47.8%), Kansas (21.2%), Idah0 (18.6%) and Massachusetts (15.1%) were states with the largest increases in traffic fatalities.