WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that road traffic deaths fell to record lows in 2025. With an estimated 36,640 traffic fatalities in 2025 - a 6.7 percent decrease from 2024 - the nation saw its second-lowest traffic fatality rate in recorded history at 1.10 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
NHTSA estimates that fatalities decreased in 39 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2025. Preliminary Federal Highway Administration data shows that vehicle miles traveled had increased by about about 0.9 percent to 29.8 billion miles last year.
NHTSA also released its annual traffic fatality data for 2024, reporting that 39,254 people died in traffic crashes in 2024. The fatality rate for 2024 was 1.19 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
The announcement was made at an event marking April as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month when law enforcement officers will be stepping up their efforts to identify and stop distracted drivers before they can hurt themselves or others on the road.
From April 6 to 13, NHTSA's Put the Phone Away or Pay campaign will remind the public of the financial, legal, and even deadly consequences of driving distracted. Eighteen people are injured every half hour in distracted driving crashes, and one person is killed about every 2.5 hours, as per NHTSA data.
Under Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, the Department is restoring safety to the nation's roads by strengthening partnerships with law enforcement, cracking down on unqualified truckers driving big rigs, and making newer and safer cars more affordable for American families.
'President Trump and I are committed to keeping American families safe on our roads,' said Secretary Duffy. 'In the past year alone, we've partnered with our incredible law enforcement officers to get dangerous foreign truck drivers off the roads and educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving, drunk driving, and driving without a seat belt. We've also worked with auto manufacturers to stand up our Freedom Means Affordable Cars initiative to make buying new, safer cars more affordable. At this Department, the safety and success of American families drive our work'.
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